The Resurrection of Uzumaki
by DrunkenBunny
Summary: AU. All is lost to Nagato, he has no one left, and not even Konan can bring off the cliff of despair. It seems that he will jump off of the ledge until he hears the sweet sounds of Kushina Uzumaki and her labor pains. The world will know Pain at the hands of the forgotten Uzumaki Clan.
1. Prologue

**Prologue**

**A/N: I'll keep it short, so I lied about the time it would take me to post the revised first chapter. All I can say is that it involved a bee and a cat… With that said here is the New Version of Resurrection of Uzumaki. So please leave a review and tell me what you thought of it.**

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><p>People talking "Narutoooooo"<p>

People thinking "_Why __is __your __head __so __big_"

Demon/Summon talking "**I'm ****free"**

Demon/Summon thinking "_**Not **__**again"**_

Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto, Masashi Kishimoto does.

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><p>Extended Summary<p>

After Nagato lost Yahiko he swears to never let his family die again. Years later after many more losses, his heart grows cold to all "family" even Konan the woman he once considered a sister. Than after hearing from "Tobi" that the Kyūbi resides within a Uzumaki in Konoha, he figures that after the extraction that "blood is thicker than water." So the night that Tobi goes and extracts the Kyūbi from Kushina, Nagato follows. He watches from the background as the new Uzumaki is born into the family than as Minato and now "Madara Uchiha" fights finally as Minato seals the Kyūbi back, now into his son.

XXXXX

In the woods right after the sealing.

Gold chains whip around shattering the barrier that keep the giant beast contained. A lone figure stands in front of the scored ground where a chain swiped. The figures faced is covered by a porcelain mask, it is shaped to mimic an owl; piercing white eyes are seen through the eye holes giving the faint sign of who lays behind the mask. A distorted male's voice mutters from behind the mask. "Lord Third, do you know what has just happened?" The ANBU, Owl, keen eyes sees no trace of the massive chakra constrict that was just terrorizing his home. A faint bulge is seen in the nerves around the ANBU's eyes, he can no longer see any chakra in his Kage or his wife. Yet he can tell a new source of chakra grows in the Yondaime's seed, he also notice black lines of fūinjutsu racing onto the baby's stomach. He knows that he may have just witnessed the creation of a jinchūriki but he dares not say it out loud, instead he looks to the man he addressed early –who leans on a staff showing his age.

Hiruzen shifts his weight on his old friend Emma, he briefly imagined that this night had gone differently. In his dreams he could see his successor playing with a newborn child, while he himself sat afar watching the father son duo smoking his pipe. A slip of footing brought him back down to earth. With a long and tired sigh he looked upon his fallen successor tirelessly. "I've just become the Hokage again." The words came out of his mouth like lead. "Owl, Panda, Crow gather up the bodies of your past Hokage, his wife and child. I've got to go speak to my people once again." The aged Professor looked into the sky as rain started to pour down. "And someone call Lemur." In a rare show of emotion he pauses. "He needs to search the cave for his mother."

XXXXX

An hour later in front of the Hokage Tower.

Under the watchful eyes of a black abyss that is called night, a crowd gathers. Faces are seen covered in smog and grim, tears streaks stain faces of lesser men. There is a quietness that sweeps across them, yet instead of bring a calming peace, it forebodes a raging inferno that is in all their souls. With his watchful eyes Hiruzen can see this infernal and wishes to quickly quill it, therefore he brings his own fire to life. The top of the Hokage Tower ignites – some react with fear others with curiosity – a small contingent of shadows raise up on the building. With squinted eyes Hiruzen is seen standing of a podium, behind him a group is seen. Soon the villagers realize that the united front of people who seem to be dancing in flames are none other than that Village Council. The group is counted, and the number reaches into the twenties. To the village it seems that their Council have come to share their grief and anger.

Without a moment's notice a voice raises into the minds of all the people across the village. An unnoticed hands sign is in play from a man with scars racing down the right side of his face; his hair is long and golden blond he looks to be in his early sixties yet he emits an aura of power, it is none other than Inoza Yamanaka, the current leader of the Yamanaka Clan.

"Minato Namikaze is dead." Hiruzen's voice is heard by every citizen. "He perished while fighting for you, his people. While he is gone, so is the Kyūbi no Yōko! Be strong knowing it was your Hokage that fought and defeated it for you." Civilians are puzzled, they all see an image of the Yondaime burned into their eyelids for a brief second. "Rest, tonight's attack has buried a heavy weight on all our souls. Therefore we'll bury the dead another day, go home – to those of you that have homes – and rejoice that you are alive tonight. The pain of today will stay for entirety so relish in the fact that you are alive now! We will gather again next week for a mass burial of every brave soul that fire has dimed, until then you are dismissed." As soon as the withered Monkey gave his speech, the tattered mass of Konoha eyes dimmed. Many feel the pain that the night has produced; now the fire that was on the brink of a raging inferno has been reduced to a slow burning amber. Thanks to their previous Hokage they retained a miniscule amount of hope that the night would get better. While this goes on a cluster of shadows watches the village that just lost much.

XXXXX

Inside of the Village Council Room.

Within a room deep inside the village, ANBU and ROOT shinobi guard surround the outside, inside of the room stood two tables; the lead and shortest table was carved from the first tree to be torn down for the building of the village. It was known as the Head table, it is where the Hokage would sit; it also held the seats of his appointed councilors. The table traveled across the front of the room. In a semicircle around the table is where the rest of the council would sit. The semicircle table was called the Crescent table, those who filled the seats were usually shinobi clan dignitaries and civilian chancellors.

"Hiruzen, great speech as always, now tell us what you refused to tell them." A voice rose from the Crescent table. The gruff sound came from an old man, he looked like he was knocking on deaths door. Not only was the majority of his face covered in wraps, a damage arm hung limp at his side.

"Danzō, I will not repeat myself again, show your Hokage respect, or I will teach it to you." A whisper rose from the chair next to the Hokage. A woman of equal age said the threat, it was laced with enough killing intent to show that she could back up her promise. Unlike the man, Danzō, she looked like the picture of health. She sat with a poise that non other in the room could equal, her eyes were closed.

"How dare you Koharu, like a civilian would…" started Danzō, he stood from his seat, his eyes shone an annoyed look.

"Would what, do I have to show you again why I sit here, there you go with that Shinobi Clan pride again" interrupted Koharu, she had a cold and calculated voice.

A new voice rose from the opposite side of the Hokage. Before new words were said the temperature in the room rose to a higher degree. "Danzō sit down! Koharu the last time you fought someone was over ten years ago, and the same goes for you Danzō. Here we are surviving a meeting with the Kyūbi no Yōko, and you two fighting like some school children." He looked just as aged as the other two. Yet somehow he looked more tired than the rest, maybe it was from dealing with this argument for most of his life, or he might have just lost someone he loved deeply. Once he held the title of Phoenix inside of the ANBU, now he was just a tired old man.

"Thank you again; Homura I don't know where those two would be if it wasn't for you." The aged Hokage said, he looked at his longtime friend with an honest smile. "And shame on you Danzō and Koharu this is neither the time nor the place, we have gone through far too much for you two to still fight like this. Koharu, it is alright that Danzō addressed me that way; I am not the Hokage now, we still must vote on it. I am just holding the chair until we are able to appoint one anew." The room broke out into a murmur of noise, never in the history of the village have they been leaderless; even if it was just for one night. Silently the elderly man cursed himself; it was a strange sight to see shinobi and civilian alike bickering like children.

It was the new Head of the Nara Clan – the predecessor stepped down a week beforehand, saying that he felt something troublesome brewing –stood up. "I will not sit for this type of behavior; we are the leaders of this village, it is time we act like it." A silence broke into mummer of noise that took ahold of the room, Shikaku Nara looked pleased. He knew that he had the least respect being one of the youngest men in the room. With the silent room Hiruzen could see why Minato nominated him to become the Head Commander of the Shinobi forces. "Now we shall cast a vote to see who we will choose." After collecting the ballots he looked pleased and just said, "Hiruzen."

Said man quince, just this once, he would rather for his friend and rival to win this; again, just this once. He gave one last dream of a peaceful death and quilled it with fortitude only he could produce. With that small action he transformed himself back into Kami no Shinobi, the man that was hail as The Professor not only for his knowledge on the field but also for his tactical skills. "Alright than if that is the Councils will, Ryôichi Umino, what the status of the Academy."

An obese man jumped, he was in his late forties. Standing up his back showed a crook, like every other politician he never actually fought in any battlefield. Tonight awoke his eyes to the dangerous era that they were in. "Lord Hokage, we lost two dozen students." He paused withholding a sob. "The building has been completely destroyed; we do not have the ability to salvage anything." At that he sat, his mind was lost in thought – he just received word that his nephew was orphaned tonight.

"Alright we will hold classes in the Hokage Tower until we can rebuild. Next!" Silently he praised the Kami that his sons were no longer in school.

"Lord Hokage," Mebuki Haruno, another politician, rose from her seat. "The Allied Mothers Force (AMF) is ready to be deployed at moment's notice." The AMF was a quick response group, made of volunteer Shinobi mothers. Although she was not a mother of any shinobi – her only child being just born; she _gracefully _volunteered to be their liaison to the council. The AMF skills ranged from stitching clothes to using jutsu.

"Excellent Mebuki, after this meeting locate anyone that you can to help at the hospital. We still don't have a head count of the total injured and dead." The man's eyes showed a glossy color, the charcoal blacks glowed a deep red. His fire was coming back to life with every word he spoke. After the command he gave the woman, he recorded every jurisdictions report with his aged ears. Afterwards his quick tongue would reply to them, giving orders that carried shouldered life and death. Hiruzen received reports from all of the civilian that were in charge of the different jurisdictions.

Just as the last report was finishing the room rumbled. Eyes traveled across the room, they looked towards the sound – only one thought was going through everyone's mind. Did it escape? Hiruzen rose from his seat, he looked like he was getting ready for another fight; suddenly a gust of chakra released in the middle of the room. With the visible force of chakra blasting into the room, civilians covered eyes and shinobi reached for weapons. The room was engulfed in smoke, a familiar sound rang across the room. "**Ribbit.**" It was a deep sound coming from the vertebrate of a toad's throat, it sounded off again. "**Ribbit.**" Wind whipped around the room, four figures appeared from the smoke; the faces of the each assailant was covered with a white mask. Each of the new figures held their hands in the rat seal, lines raced from their feet to a box of smoke that they surrounded.

Danzō walked up to one of the man with a blank mask. "Report." The blanked mask man nodded his head.

"Sir, we saw two ANBU Shinobi rushing towards the hall. I noticed Lion and knew him to be a sensor, therefore I and my fellow ROOT Shinobi followed them." Danzō nodded his head at his soldier's words.

"Well Hiruzen, I hope _your_ ANBU had good reason for coming in a private meeting." His eyes were cold and calculated knowing that there would repercussions if two ANBU just rushed into the room.

"Lion report!" Hiruzen felt a headache coming, he was barely reinstated and Danzō was trying to get him impeached again.

"Sir." A man's voice rose from behind the porcelain Lion mask. "I felt an unknown source of chakra coming from a high speed signature." He looked towards the square box in the center of the room. "I motioned for Grizzly to follow me. When we saw the two ROOT shinobi we started fūinjutsu that was made to capture, they knew the seals and followed our lead."

The aged Hokage nodded his head, he looked towards the Nara Patriarch. "Very well, shall we see who kindly has come to visit?" Shikaku nodded his head, shadows across the room grew longer and reached towards the smoke clotted box.

Slowly the four masked shinobi walked backwards; lines of the fūinjutsu started to fade, and shadows increased. The second the lines broke a shadow raced into the smoke taking hold of whomever was trapped. To all their surprise a toad the size of a large dog with large pink lips stood in the middle. The toad blew a kiss towards the crowd and disappeared in a cloud of smoke.

"Sensei, your shinobi are getting rusty."

All eyes turned around and looked at their backs. Jiraiya the Sage of Mount Myōboku was leaning against the door frame. "Now where is that baby." A smile slipped through the man's face.

The next second debris burst from the frame, a man sized hole was located where Jiraiya was standing; the only thing left was a long black pole sticking sideways through it. "**Jiraiya, I had no idea that you would be here today**." Said pole started to speak. "**Hiruzen, how many times must I beat that boy**?" A puff a smoke later and a man sized monkey stood at the frame.

"Thank you Emma, but was that really necessary. Those walls were supposed to be reinforced." The Kage placed a hand on the wall and earth filled the hole. Immediately after the hole filled a figure melted thought the earth. Jiraiya was back, holding his stomach.

The last person to hit him that hard was by Tsunade after he was caught peeping on her last time she was in town. "Damn, Emma what was that for. I just heard that the Kyūbi broke out. I used Sage mode to rush over here. Where the hell is Minato and Kushina." Eyes averted his gaze, something was off. "Wait don't tell me that something happened, I just left the village because Kushina said that little Naruto wasn't coming for at least another week." He started to shake, this scene was familiar to him. He had seen the same look of downcast eyes when his other two students died years ago. He looked at Danzō, he knew the man wouldn't dear lie to him, and he didn't he could see through his cold eyes that the night was full of death.

"Jiraiya, get ahold of yourself you are one of the strongest Shinobi alive, and the source of our spy network you are not allowed to falter." The Old War Hawk sat back down in his chair, with a simple look he took commanded of Jiraiya's attention; his eyes said it. 'We've all lost students here,' that's what they said but he wanted to refuse them. In a rare act of kindness Danzō spoke. "You should find a seat; this meeting may as well include you."

As Jiraiya was about to collapse Koharu looked at him with pity and flashed six quick hand signs. A chair made of earth rose around Jiraiya so he wouldn't hit the floor. "Hiruzen, I think you should continue. All of us have had a long day; we need to go home to be with are families now." She had a tired look upon her face; she even forgot to call him Hokage. In her younger days while she was a part of ANBU she was called Canary, it was because of her uncanny beauty and ability to calm even the brutish of man with the soft whisper of her voice. Still even in her old age the voice did not fall on death ears.

"Very well" The Hokage himself might have broken, if it was Jiraiya that died – after all he was his last faithful student. With a wave of his hand both ANBU and ROOT agents disappeared back into the shadows, even though ROOT was Danzō's people they would be foolish not to listen to the Hokage. "There is one more thing I wish to discuss tonight the rest will wait until tomorrow." Hiruzen lifted a small carriage from under his table. A mass of cold calculated eyes watched from the shadows of the room as the baby's eyes shined with new life. "This, is Naruto Uzumaki Namikaze, the child of Konoha's Yellow Flash and Red Hot-Blooded Habanero. How should we handle him?" Immediately Hiruzen already knew who he wanted to take care of the boy.

Jiraiya's head shot up, and a light twinkled in Hiruzen's eye. In a speed that was inhumanly possible the Toad Sage rushed across the room. "This is Naruto, he's so small." A mess of white hair covered the baby, Naruto started to giggle from the touch of his godfather's hair. Jiraiya held Naruto like a precious diamond, he raised him in the air to check if he was real or not. That's when he almost dropped him. "Sensei what is this." There was a reason that Jiraiya again held the title of Konoha's leading fūinjutsu expert. After all a normal person would never see the seal without the holder generating chakra first, but Jiraiya was not normal. With traces of nature chakra left in his blood he could feel the presence of a foreign chakra, he channeled chakra to the palm of his hand and pressed it upon Naruto's belly. Inwardly Hiruzen cursed his student for being too good.

What happened next shocked the room, as clear as the sun in the sky there was a seal seen on Naruto, it bared the mark of the Uzumaki Clan. Danzō rose from his seat first. "Hiruzen, what is the meaning of this. Why does the boy have a seal on him?" The damaged man was by no means any expert in the subtle art of fūinjutsu, yet he could tell something was wrong about a child barely a day old holding a seal on his stomach.

"Because, he is the jinchūriki of half of the Kyūbi," Hiruzen figured there was no reason to withhold the truth any more. "Minato, bless his soul, used the most dangerous seal known to man to defeat the Kyūbi." Danzō immediately thought of his secret ultimatum, the Reverse Four Symbols Sealing Technique. Jiraiya knowing better instantaneously started his summoning technique.

"**Jiraiya**," A sad voice said. "**I was just about to have ma and pa summon you to Mount Myōboku**" it was Gerotora the scroll toad.

"Answer me clearly Gerotora, did he use it." Jiraiya's voice was low barely above a whisper, but  
>every person in the room heard him loud and clear. "Tell me he didn't use <strong>Shiki Fūjin<strong>." Only two people in the room besides Jiraiya understood the graveness of the seal that was just said.

"Jiraiya-sama." It was the first time this meeting that anyone use any titles, unlike the previous people who spoke this man showed reverence. "What is the **Shiki Fūjin**?" It was the head of Government relations, Takashi Katō, also he was the current Patriarch of the Katō Clan. Takashi wasn't athletic by any standards, but he wasn't on the plus size of the scale either. In his youth he was an aspiring shinobi filled with dreams of bringing his clan glory, somehow along the way he was appointed to be the liaison between the Hokage and Fire Daimyō. The job made him complacent, the job came with certain privileges. Mostly it was a desk job that had him relaying important messages, he hadn't done any actually Shinobi work in years since he spends most of his time with the Daimyō of Fire his clan's Hiden made him perfect for the job.

"Hiruzen have you let your Shinobi standards become so low." Danzō was choosing to be very vocal at this meeting. "Takashi it is exactly what it sounds like. In exchange for use of the seal the Shinigami comes and takes your soul, even I would not wish that on my enemy."

Takashi spoke again, "What does it matter it would not be the first seal that takes a life."

"Silence! Takashi you speak what you do not understand." The Hokage was out of his seat – eyes betraying what they wanted to say – he looked at Jiraiya silently pleading him not to do something. "You do not die by the hands of his seal, the Uzumaki created this seal, it has the power to take the life of any and everything. Even a primordial being known as a bijū, so the effect of the seal is even great. For the rest of eternity you live within the stomach of the Shinigami, tormented by the death god forever is worse than death."

"If I am not correct you said that only half of the Kyūbi was sealed in the child, if he could use that seal why did he make his own son a jinchūriki?" An immense output of killing intent was released by Jiraiya, the room went quite again. The Sannin gave an air of threat was he walked by everyone in the room he stop in front of Takashi, until their noses touched.

"Damn you Takashi." His voice was the softest it has been since he rushed into the room. "I was asking Gerotora here a question." He turned around and face the toad. "So tell me Gerotora did he use it." Jiraiya was oddly quiet, his voice betrayed his real emotions; it was a wonder how Naruto started to snore.

"**That he did Jiraiya." **Small fissure creped around the floor where the man stood. **"I could not stop him he was set on believing that Naruto was going to be the Child of the Prophecy**." Gerotora didn't look that he felt any pressure that the man was leaking. "**Right before he died he summoned me and told me that the he was only sealing half of the fox into Naruto the rest was to go to hell with him. He could not leave Konoha without a jinchūriki you know that. There needed to be a balance of power, even your student knew that."**

"What know, I'm supposed to raise the kid from birth to fight and die like his father and mother." Now Jiraiya was wrecked with emotions that he would never show. He looked at his sensei. "Sorry Hokage-sama I cannot watch the kid I am too busy running your spy network." Jiraiya's whole posture changed in moments, he no longer held the stance of a warrior, but that of a defeated man.

"Jiraiya you're not thinking rationally right now." Said the now exposed Hokage, this was one of the things he had planned to bring up at a later date.

"Hokage-sama my head have never been clearer." Jiraiya swiped a loose hair that hung in front of his eyes, it flew onto the top of the man's head. Hiruzen saw the pain that racked his student's heart, and every time his student call him 'Hokage-sama' he felt the pain sting in his own heart. "How is it that you expect me to take care of the kid while I must always be on the move, if memory serves correct jinchūriki should stay in the village? Aren't I right Hokage-sama?" At that moment Jiraiya felt nothing, later he would feel regret, they all would.

"Alright Jiraiya, I understand just as the boys godfather I would have figured that you would want to take care of the boy." Those words were kunai straight to Jiraiya's heart and Hiruzen knew it, but right now he didn't care. He wanted the man to know the pain that he would feel every time Jiraiya called him by that name. "Then we need options for the boy, any ideals." The Hokage look daggers at the Namikaze Clan, even though Minato was not part of the main family, he brought them the fame that they need to produce over forty percent of Konoha weapons.

Sadly all of the fame they had did not mean they weren't ignorant." How do you expect my clan to watch the boy, when you just said that the demon is inside of him, what if the demon breaks free and attacks us in our sleep, what then?" The lanky man's eyes were already showing the ideal of fox hunts.

"Damn you Yoshi Namikaze, how dare you." Surprisingly the outburst came from the ever static Shibi Aburame. It might have been because he and Kushina were on the same Genin team. This started another argument between the members of the Council, the room became divided amongst themselves.

"Enough the boy is no demon, from this moment forward those who call him one shall meet the Shinigami themselves!" The Hokage said, his voice was filled with the power of the Kami no Shinobi. "We need to decide where the boy will live, not if, have you all have no shame."

"The child can stay with me." Said a new voice to the meeting. The room froze, the man had emerged into the room as if was part of the shadows the entire time. He was draped in a black robe adorn with red clouds, and a hood covering his face.

The atmosphere of the room changed, no longer where they bickering little children they were Shinobi of Konoha. "Who are you, Jiraiya information?" With the showing of this mysterious man the Professor knew that the day just went from bad to worst.

"I don't know Sensei, this is bad." Two puffs of clouds appeared on Jiraiya's shoulders. Ma and Pa started to gather nature chakra for the man, a battle was about to begin. Inwardly Hiruzen smiled at hearing his student call him sensei again. Outwardly he was worried if someone broke into a secret meeting and his spy master didn't know them it wasn't good.

"Jiraiya-taicho, I'm surprised that you forgot about your students." This time the new voice arose from a whirlpool of paper. It was a woman's form that appeared wearing the same outfit, she created an origami flower and threw it to Jiraiya. The atmosphere shifted, all the air evaporated from the room, only chakra was left.

"It's not possible, I mean, I thought you all dead – why are you here now. I've looked for you three in the past." Jiraiya looked are at the two of them, he was waiting for a third presence to come into the room.

"You left us for dead when you left that day, actually one of us did die since then." The first man's voice rose up, Jiraiya's face was racked with more emotions.

"Jiraiya what is the meaning of this who are these people, and what are they doing here." The Hokage was getting restless, he was ready for a fight that he knew was coming. Enma was already next to him in his staff form.

"Sensei do you remember the Second Shinobi War." Without even looking for the answer Jiraiya know that he would. "These are the reason I didn't come right back."

"You don't mean the…" Started the Hokage, he knew the stories.

"Yes it's the Ame Orphans." That was all that needed to be said.

There was no movement for a while not even Ashi Inuzuka's ninken Kiiromaru made a sound. Than Naruto made a silent yawn, that was the start of it. Kiiromaru transformed into a copy of Ashi, without sound they performed a Gatsūga crashing straight into the woman. She exploded into a million small pieces of paper that covered the entire room. All of the Shinobi scattered, the roof exploded. Outside is where chaos would occur, one side there were sixteen of the villages strongest Shinobi on one side and on the other stood eight robe figures. In the Hokage's arms was little baby Naruto still fast asleep. Kiiromaru had transformed into giant copy of herself and had all of the civilians sitting atop her back.

The Hiruzen stepped forward his Hokage cloak was billowing behind him, the gust of wind showed that he was wearing his battle suit underneath it. "I will tell you once leave or we will make you, its sixteen verses eight the numbers are not in your favor."

The man whom emerged from the shadows stepped forward. "Jiraiya-sensei I would have thought you would told your Hokage about my eyes." He pushed his hood down and two marvelous orbs of purple shined through. A patch of white hair stood out from the blood red color of the rest of his head. "Since you were so nice, let me give you a warring. Hand over the Kyūbi jinchūriki or you will suffer Pain."

"Jiraiya are those, what I think they are." The Hokage said as he looked at the legendary dōjutsu the Rinnegan. With a quick glance at Jiraiya he could tell that it was. "Alright than Saki, Hitoshi go!"

Two people contrasting each other stepped forward. The woman was dressed in a midnight blue battle dress the hung to her every curve, she wore high black heels and looked to be in her late forties. Wild spiky ashen grey hair drooped down to the bottom of her heels. The only weapon visible on her was a paper fan in her right hand, the top half was red and the bottom was white. She closed her onyx black eyes for a second and when they reopened they were red, with three tomoes in each eye. A man stepped behind her, he stood below her eye level but gave off a more immaculate aura. He was wearing a loose fitting white kimono held together by a simple black sash with a black waist length haori. His abyss black hair hung loose behind his head. While his hands were bare of any weapons they looked changed; the tips of each finger looked to be razor sharp and glistened silver. Every vain in his body bulged for a second and when back to normal.

They were the heads of Konoha's two noble dōjutsu clans. They welded the Sharingan that enable the user to see chakra flow and grants the user an incredible clarity of perception, and the Byakugan that gives the user a near 360º field of vision, telescopic sight, and the ability to see chakra.

"A battle of legendary eyes." The mysterious man's eyes held a hysterical look. "I love the ideal, too bad you're outnumbered." Six of the rest of the hooded figures removed there hoods and they all had Rinnegan.

"Nagato, how?" Jiraiya looked at all the new people and wondered how they all held the same eyes, but more specifically he looked at the man that looked like Yahiko that was silent and looked devoid of emotions.

Nagato smirked he raised his hand and the man that looked like Yahiko rushed forward, he was next to Saki and Hitoshi the next moment. He lifted both of his hands at the other two members of the legendary eyes gifted by the Sage of Six Paths. "**Shinra Tensei**" Both of dōjutsu welders were pushed back into the crowd Konoha shinobi. A line of blood trickled down Hitoshi's mouth.

The man whipped the blood smearing his white robes with his own blood. "Shall we Saki?" The woman nodded in return. His nerves bulged again and the ones around his eyes stayed. He looked towards the man that attacked him. "You are in my path of divination. **Hakke Hyaku Nijūhachi Shō**" He disappeared from his location in appeared behind him, his assault started. "**Two Palms**" Both points missed his mark. "**Four Palms**" One grazed a loose string of hair it fell to the ground. "**Eight Palms**" Two tore the fabric of the man's robe "Sixteen" Five drops of blood flew from his fingertips. "**Thirty-two Palms**" He counted three tenketsu closed and nine more drops of blood spattered onto his robes. "**Sixty-four** **Palms**" Before one finger made its marks he felt the same force from before sending him flying away.

Saki saw her opportunity, it happened when Hitoshi was hit with an expunging force of chakra from the man. "**Katon: Akuma Asobiba**" She waved her fan in the air, and pillars of fire rained down from the heavens with each passing wave. Each time a column hit the ground missing its mark it scored the ground with burnt and charred earth.

Yahiko dodged every column of fire with ease, it was as if the woman was not even trying. When another pillar of glowing hot flames came his way he attempted to jump to one of the scorched marks where the woman had missed him early. Only he found when he was about to land that the earth a beam of molten hot fire shot out into the sky, Nagato smirked. "Is this all the great Konoha is capable of. Konan its time."

Without another moment's notice a hundreds of chakra enforced paper encircled the shinobi from Konoha. The sheets of tag paper had hastily drawn fūinjutsu written all around the tag, with the words centering around the kanji for explode. The paper intertwined with each other, the bombs made a base of a large circle around the Konoha shinobi raising into the sky. The papers made a dome surrounding them in a giant bomb. Konan fluttered down from the sky as the dome was completing. "Nagato, Zetsu has almost completed..." The rest of her words were lost the opposing shinobi over the closing of the paper dome, unseen to them Nagato nodded at her words. "Kai." After those three short letters left her mouth the dome exploded in a brilliant explosion rocking the earth they were standing on.

After the debris cleared a giant toad was seen covering the entire area of the explosion. With a dying breath it opened its mouth letting the Council free from where they were protected from the blast radius. Jiraiya placed a hand on its massive foreleg. "I'm sorry old friend." After his parting words the toad disappeared from its place with a puff of smoke. "Konan, was that really necessary." The Gamin Sannin had tears falling down the side of his face.

A small sad smile went across the woman's face after hearing her old teacher emotion filled words. "Taicho, maybe now you will take us seriously." As she spoke paper flew around her arms forming kunai sharp spears.

"**Jiraiya-baka, lets show them that Gamikun didn't die for no reason.**" Ma spoke from her place on the Sannin's right shoulder. The man nodded in return, his eyes showing a burning fire brimming at the surface to be released.

Jiraiya vanished from his spot next to the rest of the Konoha members and appeared behind Konan. With tears filled eyes he placed a **Rasengan **in the back of his former charge. Yet instead of the guts and gore expected to be spattered around his arm he found paper wrapping its way up it. As the papers started to burn at the ends of the papers a jet of water came flying from his left side. Pa had his little webbed fingers in the Dragon seal and water was coming from his mouth. Once Konan let her hold go she was replaced with a man that oddly looked like a shinobi that he fought from the Fūma clan years ago, as he opened his mouth to speak to the guy he slammed his hands into the ground.

To Jiraiya's surprises seven human sized toads with the Rinnegan appeared in front of him. One of them flipped its body around the man and thrust its palm into the man's back. As he flew forward he saw that the six other toads had blades waiting to impale him. Activating his Kejutsu his hair grew longer and grabbed ahold of the dry earth stopping him a foot short of becoming diced meat. Wiping the blood that spattered from his mouth from the thrust, he looked around. It seemed while he was busy fighting these toads the others were not sitting idly by.

In a move he missed Ino-Shika-Cho was now engaged in battle with the man that looked like Yahiko, and to their left was a Hiruzen and Enma in staff form fighting against some stocky man who seemed to have grown extra limbs and was able to fight with amazing dexterity, it also looked like every punch he threw was crushing as every Enma had dents in his staff – which is constructed out of adamantine. He almost missed it, but it looked like Danzō was fighting with him against the _man_, more like puppet he thought.

He looked next to the destroyed underground building and found a surprising fight. Two people he thought were relics, Homura and Koharu stood back to back fighting a man that looked surprisingly like a Yamanaka if it wasn't for the orange hair. What amazed him the most was the ferocity that they fought with, it was as if the two elders had the stamina of fresh genin.

As Jiraiya started to look around at the other fights he felt a sharp pain in his side, it felt like it was 2 cm off from puncturing his left lung. "**Jiraiya-baka, get your head in the game. These **_**toads**_** are nothing to scoff at.**" Ma spat the words toads as venomously as she possible could, it was as if she never saw the new summons before in her life.

"**Ba, ba Ma you should really learn how to relax some.**" Pa said after he spewed out a thick layer of oil from his mouth. Jiraiya courteously ignited the oil with some fire for the male toad elder. A wall of flames rose from the ground forming a barrier between them and there opponents. Ma raced through a set of seals and the flames condensed and reshaped into a shield that Jiraiya grabbed.

Just as he was about to go on the offense he had to use the shield to block a rhino that was running into the side of him. Looking up he saw the Fūma clan shinobi summon a small ape that transformed into a sword and rushed at him.

XXXXXX

While there those fights were going on Zetsu was sneaking throughout Konoha looking for the morgue. "**I'm telling you the body is in ANBU headquarters.**" The humanoid creature started to talk to itself out loud, without its mouth moving.

"_But Ni-san that place is sooooo scary, and those mask are creepy_." The white halves mouth moved open and was wearing a bright smile. "_And wouldn't you rather absorb all those shinobi kekkei genkai that Konoha have_."

"**We have are mission, and clans dispose of the bodies. The only dead you will see at the morgue is civilians, and all the ANBU should be busy with Nagato's fight. That man may be but a puppet to mother, but he is a strong puppet. They will be distracted as long as that fool keeps them busy.**" From the left side of the face that was devoid of anything but blackness a jagged smile creped onto its face.

A similarly ominous smile rose on the white's side face. "_Fine we can go, as long as if we can eat anyone that gets in our way._" With that the creature sunk from its place into the ground.

XXXXX

Ashi Inuzuka was sweating, he was currently fighting the man that Jiraiya had identified as Nagato. The man used no jutsu but fought with weird black rods that disrupted chakra every time they cut him. To his surprise this Nagato fellow was surprisingly agile. Even with his and Kiiromaru's best collaboration moves they had yet land a signal solid hit. Next to him Takashi Katō was pinned to the ground, Katō did not impress him; he could imagine Tsume devouring him whole.

"Have you seen reason and found there is only Pain for you." Nagato had little perspiration leaking from his forehead, it was unlucky for his opponents they had to fight him – the main path. With half the team being a member of the Katō Clan – that uses soul related attacks – so his Black Needles were able to immobilize him right away. The pale-blue haired man – that held was seen fit to lead the Katō – corporal soul was shining in the moonlight it was held down by his Black Needle in each of the man's limbs. Katō was barely able to think with the receivers in his body, he lasted in the fight a whole of two minutes.

Ashi gave the intruder a feral glare, which looked out of place on his face. "You must have never meet an Inuzuka before, we live for pain." With that he performed a **Gatenga. **

"Sham, it looks like old dogs can't learn new tricks after all." To Nagato surprise both **Gatenga** took on a lighting charge. Nagato jumped out the way only to be followed by one of the **Gatenga** that struck him in back side causing him to hit the ground in a puddle of blood.

The spinning wheel of destruction stopped above the body that laid on the ground. "Kiiromaru looks like this guy was all talk." Ashi turned around to free Katō from his binding only to receive his very own rod in his heart. Before he knew it he saw the eyes of the man that just killed him stare at him in his face. "How." His voice was barely audible.

"**Futon Bunshin**, and **Genjutsu: Shi**" After the words left Nagato's mouth he dispersed into wind, showing that the real Nagato was sitting on top the downed Katō. "I had hope you would see you had no real chance of winning."

With that Ashi passed away thinking only of Tsume, Hana, and Kiba.

While the fighting was going on, a mysterious plant like man grew from the ground holding Kushina Uzumaki's body. "**I've retrieved the body**." The creature said without showing its face.

"Right then let's get going." Nagato said wiping the blood that belonged to the Inuzuka from his weapon. With his order all the enemy shinobi shunshin near him, Nagato looked towards the blank face of his old friend Yahiko and nodded his head. At the order the human puppet that was Yahiko raised his arms and a baby Naruto flew into them.

"NO!" Jiraiya yelled, he moved to go after his old charges.

"Jiraiya-taicho it was a pleasure to see you once again. I hope that this doesn't cause too much trouble for you." Nagato raised both hands. "**Shinra Tensei**."

Suddenly there was the biggest force that then they felt yet and they all flew backwards. When they got up the intruders were gone. Yet that didn't matter to Jiraiya, he started to channel more natural chakra into his system – his features where becoming less human by the second. He let loose a battle cry and took in the chakra signatures of everyone in the village. All his effort was for not, he could not sense them anywhere in the village. With his life in danger of overuse of Sage Mode he released the chakra and slumped to his knees. Slowly he rose again, and started to scream after them. The beaten ninja of Konoha staredat their fellow shinobi, they heard his cries in an unsteady sob. As his voice cleared the message he yell became clear. "Nagato Uzumaki you will know death." Everyone their knew that the enemy this Nagato couldn't hear him, but no one dared tell him; so he kept yelling out until Hiruzen put his hands on his shoulders.

"Jiraiya, there gone." The sentence was simple only three words, yet to the Toad Sannin it felt like a million. The Jiraiya felt that his heart was exposed, ripped out of his chest and crushed. "Everyone go home, we will convene tomorrow morning about this." The Hokage just walk way, the day just weighted too much. At seeing the Kyūbi he knew his wife was dead, than he promised his dying successor that his son would be seen as the village hero, and now he and his Council of elites had just lost the boy under a surprised attack by unknown intruders. He still had to go home and explain all this to his sons.

_**XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX**_

Katon: Akuma Asobiba – Fire: Devil's Playground – A Rank Katon – Offensive – User calls down pillars of fire from the sky leaving scorched earth were pillar hits. The scored ground stays active with chakra that releases another pillar of fire if someone lands on it.

Futon Bunshin – Wind Clone – D Rank Bunshin – Supplementary – A clone made of wind that disperse when damage and can reform later if needed wiki/Wind_Clone_Technique

Genjutsu: Shin – Illusion Technique: Death – C Rank Genjutsu – Cast an illusion of your fake death.


	2. Chapter 1

**Chapter One: Welcome to your new home**

**A/N: Here it is guys the next chapter in the revised edition of the story, thanks for every one you fav, followed and reviewed. But please can I get more feedback, if I don't know what's wrong I can't fix it. Also I'm still looking for a beta. Oh, if anybody can guess where I got my inspiration for Kushina you will get a cookie. **

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><p>People talking "Narutoooooo"<p>

People thinking "_Why __is __your __head __so __big_"

Demon/Summon talking "**I'm ****free"**

Demon/Summon thinking "_**Not **__**again"**_

Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto, Masashi Kishimoto does.

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><p>Blood, it is everything in this era; with the right blood you are unstoppable, legions fall at your feet and worship you. But with the wrong blood everything is out of your reach. So it is that with twisted fate that the last thing Kushina could remember was blood. Her own blood for matter of fact, cursed blood, as many called it. Every ounce of her blood was tainted with the demon she held at bay for most of her life. The<em> Bijū <em>as it was called made many to believe that she in fact a demon herself, for a while she accepted at and become their demon. Hot-Blooded Habanero is what they called her, but in her adult years she finally gained the peoples respect. She learned to keep her personal demons at bay, then for a while she even earned their love. But that all ended the moment she saw the Kyūbi's nail pierced her stomach.

It couldn't have happened at a worst time, her life was finally perfect. While she wasn't the Hokage she did marry him, and they had an heir – an adoring baby boy. He was named Naruto, named after a brave and charming shinobi in a book written by a perverted legend. Now her skin once pure as the porcelain mask she wore is now as pale as the white horse. As she closes her eyes she see her blood, three drops to be exact, that's all she sees before her light go out for eternity. Three drops of her cursed blood land on her future, Naruto, he, her heart and soul was born into a bath of blood where he would be destined to have the same cursed blood, her blood, run through his veins. That was it the last thing she remembered, before her eternal slumber.

XXX

"Œuhhhhghh!" Life, how does one embrace it after being dead? Does one cling to their _heart_? their _lungs_? do they remember how to _breathe_? Kushina Uzumaki finds herself asking these questions as she awakes, yet she reaches for none of these. While her breathing is rapid but not for the reason mentioned. Her hands, they grasps for her stomach searching not for the hole that was produced by the large nail of the Kyūbi, but for the bump that she grew accustom to. With a dry gasp she finds neither occupy her. In a frantic haze she reaches for covers that were laid atop of her, her feet touch the ground and she collapses. Her _feet_, she finds does not work. "Naruto!" With a frantic voice she shouts, only to find that an empty black room answers her. For the first time since breathing new life she looks around her. She steadies her breath. _"Kushina, you're an S-ranked Shinobi. Act like it."_ Looking around she finds that she was on a bed before her fall, with her arms she pulls herself and up and lays back down.

She closes her eyes and breathes, long slow deep breaths. They go in and out of her lungs, she does this until she falls into a deep meditative trance.

Yesterday early morning

Kushina Uzumaki awoke looking into a mop of blonde hair, she crept into the ragged mop and inhaled its smell, and to her it was like heaven. Moving closer to the male that she laid next to she nipped an open ear; her voice was seductive in nature. "Minato, do you think Naruto will have blonde or red hair." Sure it may have not been the sexiest thing she could have said but she loved the ragged blonde hair she nuzzled her face into. The young Hokage didn't move, the red-headed woman sat up. She looked around the room and took in the view. The sun was shining, the birds were chirping, and ANBU were hiding in the shadows, all was good in Konoha.

While normally she was able to see a glimpse of the view village out of the large bay window that was fixed to their master bed room, although it was largely blocked by sculpted rock of the Hokage Mountain. But today there was no luck in seeing any such gaze, no today she detested what she currently saw, curtains. The orange-brown hue draperies that hug from the elegant window was decorated with large ugly frogs. Minato had received it as a wedding gift from the elder toads of Mount Myōboku. For some reason he told them that he would hang the curtains in their bedroom. After Kushina saw them Minato swore they were for good luck. _"Something that looks like that it has to be a good luck charm." _With an inner sigh she peaked out the crack in the closed curtains. The only thing she could see was a large nose, her husband's face was finished about three months ago; the work on the mountain took almost a full year. The builder had insisted that the work required more skill than what some simple earth jutsu could achieve.

She removed the heavy wool covers before looking at her belly. "_Minato what did you do to me, it looks like I'm about to burst_." Kushina thought she would have been used to the sight of her engrossed belly by now. With a devilish smirk she stood up and wobbled to the curtains and pulled them wide open. The light shone directly on Minato's face.

"Gwah!" New life shot into the lungs of the young Hokage. "The light, the light!" The Kage rolled over to protect is fragile eyes from the blinding rays that threatened him, only he rolled the wrong way and landed on the wooden floor. As the expert shinobi fell to the ground he grabbed the covers with him. Landing on the top of his head was a night cap that's base was an open frogs mouth – another gift from Mount Myōboku.

At the pitiful sight of her husband Kushina started to laugh. With a grumpy face Minato grabbed the hat atop his head and threw it atop of Kushina's own.

Kushina stood her ground defiantly with an askew night cap on her head. "I asked you what hair color you thought Naruto would have." With a reach to her head she fixes the frogs position. "How do I look?" She smiled.

Minato looked at Kushina with an annoyed look. "Naruto's hair will be orange, like the curtains," Kushina developed a scowl. "And you look like the Queen of the Toads, Ma would be jealous." Minato started to chuckle to himself about the joke.

"And here I was going to make my Hokage breakfast." She shrugged "I'll have to just find someone more appreciating of my beauty. Maybe there will be a man out in this big cold world that will appreciate my food." With an exaggerated sigh she looked out the window. "I once heard of a legend of a man with hair white as snow and a perverted reputation. Maybe I can find this gallant man to taste my food."

"Kushina-hime I was only joking" Minato rose up to soothe his woman. "Don't look for Jiraiya."

Present

Minato, she didn't know why out of all the memories she had that it had to be one of him. After what he did to Naruto how could she ever forgive him? She looked down at her stomach again at the thought of her baby, no not could – never, she would never forgive him. Taking a deep breath she looked around the room. It was pitch black, she put her hand against the wall and felt the cool metal that it was made of. She decided to test her chakra, to no surprise there was no response. It was basic protocol to put chakra suppressors on any captives. With a sigh she looked down at her big toe and willed it to move, there was a wiggle; a small smile graced the face of Kushina. "Now let's get the rest of you piggies to move." It was time for another story.

Yesterday late morning

Kushina had walked from her home to the Great Hall, one of the most lavish ballrooms Konoha had to offer. She had checked the calendar over and over, and today was the day for the brunch. Nine of the Konoha clans were having an heir this year and she had the pleasure of hosting the joint baby shower. This started off as her telling Minato that she wanted a small baby shower with some close friends; but with her being last heir of the Uzumaki Clan, the Hokage's wife, and most of her friends being Matriarchs of prominent clans this was the outcome. Also she had to invite the village's other clans Mistresses and dignitaries from the Land of Fire, so this was the only date they all could be there at the same time, and some of them still didn't make it. After a held breath she pushed past the wooden doors and walked into the Hall.

If she had been a regular civilian she wondered what would she had seen. A, a bunch of women at a baby shower, or B the majority of the village clans Mistresses babbling like little girls. Suddenly she was brought out of her mussing when she realized that all eyes had turned to her. So with a labored breath she made her way up to the podium in front of the room. "I'm glad you all could make it for brunch." Behind her banners hung from the sky, on each of the banners was a symbol of each clan that was represented that day. In a total there was nine of them that hung: Aburame, Akimichi, Hyūga, Inuzuka, Kurama, Nara, Uchiha, Uzumaki and the Yamanaka Clans. She continued with the welcomes. "I'm so happy that you could all make it. I'm sure Minato would have been here if he wasn't busy." As she spoke common greeting she let her mind wander, it was always like this at events. Either she or Minato would welcome everyone in and they would talk politics for the day, she hoped that today would be different. Without realizing she was finished with the speech already. "Let the feast begin." She clapped her hands and waiters appeared out of the back room and started serving food.

Mikoto Uchiha was sitting at the main table with the other eight clans that had heirs that year; she waited for her best friend to return to the table. When the pregnant redhead sat next to her, she leaned into the woman's ear and whispered. "Why does everything have to be so extravagant with you?" With a look around the room Mikoto could see over sixty different women had shown for the event. "I don't even know half of these women."

Kushina gave a soft laugh covering her mouth as if she was hiding what she was saying. "Well do you see the woman getting served the oysters in the neon red komodo?" Mikoto gave a slight nod. "She's the spy from Kumo, don't tell Hikari though, they've been after the Hyūga's Byakugan for years now."

"I don't know why that would make a difference to me, Danzō has been after the Sharingan for his entire life, and he's from here. Plus it would be funny to see her trying to defend her clans honor with that belly of hers; you know she's almost as big as you." She leaned back and sighed, she looked to Kushina's other side where her other genin friend sat. She smiled and waved to Hikari while stifling a laugh.

The woman that was just mentioned glared back at the onyx haired woman. Hikari herself straightened her back and moved in closer to Kushina. "What is Mikoto planning? I can see it on her face." Kushina just shook her head at her longtime friends, Hikari looked like she was just accused of planning a coup d'état. "Don't do that again, she started it."

Kushina looked at both of the woman. "Look at you two, both of you are grown women. Haven't you figured out how to be civil, especially at events like this?" She sighed and called the waiter over. She was hungry and pregnant and they weren't making it any better.

"It won't matter." Said Hikari, she was about to do one of her favorite past times. Start a fight with Mikoto. "Little Naruto and Hinata will become married, and I will be your sister. There's not a thing Mikoto can do about it." She pulled her eye down at the Uchiha Matriarch.

The Uchiha glared. "Well, Naruto won't like younger women, and he and little Sasuke will become the best of friends. So much both me and Kushina will move in together to let them play all day." She replied with an eyelid down and a tongue protruding from her mouth.

"Hopefully this fight won't continue over to the children." A man in a tux walked up behind the women chatting away, Kushina took notice and turned her attention away from her two best friends. "I don't know about those two but I would like a Tamagoyaki and boiled fish." The man nodded and walked away. Kushina turned back to her friends but tuned them out, she didn't feel like listening to their petty arguments today.

Soon the waiter came back with a plate full of food. On it was a beautifully rolled omelet that was stuff with all types of exotic delicacies, which sat atop a mound of steamed rice that looked to have bathed in fish oil with a generous serving of salmon next to it. "Shame on you Kushina Uzumaki, this is not good for the baby." Kushina jump with surprised at the voice that chastened her. It was an elder woman with a kinked in her back appeared next to her replacing Mikoto.

"Biwako-senpai, where did you come from?" The Uzumaki woman was surprised by the older Sarutobi.

"Kushina-chan, I did not get this old by spilling my secrets, that food will corrupt the baby." Biwako had become somewhat of a mother figure for Kushina during her pregnancy. The elder woman was always around giving helpful advice to her, she even offered to be her midwife.

"It's not like I eat this way every day, all I asked for was an omelet and fish, they brought it out like this." The woman look like she was just caught red handed.

"You're the mother of a clan heir, you must only eat the healthiest foods. Why when I was pregnant with Hiruzen's first child…" Biwako was just about to give one of her famous long winded speeches detailing of her own heroic trails when she was pregnant when Kushina's water broke. "ANBU!" Three masked women appeared in front of her. "Take Kushina to her labor 'room' and someone call the Hokage; tell him his wife is in labor."

Present time

Kushina awoke from her memories when she heard someone walking in front of her prison. The footsteps where light, clearly the person was a shinobi of decent caliber. Kushina quickly tested her toes to see if they would move. All ten piglets wiggled with excitement, and a small smile graced her lips. "Please open the door; I am the Hokage's wife, you don't know who you're messing with right now." Her voice came out frail, she would play the damsel in distress for now.

The footsteps had already stopped as if the person was waiting for her to speak up. "Fear not Kushina Uzumaki, I know exactly who you are. And the Yondaime Hokage is no longer among the living." The man's voice was cold, a quick jolt of pain raced through her when she heard of Minato's death. She knew Minato died, he was impaled by the Kyūbi just like her, than again she was alive right now; so maybe he was too or so she thought. Kushina noticed a deep pain in the man's voice.

"What about my child, Naruto. Is he alright." Kushina knew that she shouldn't have shown any weakness in this situation but she couldn't help it.

The man on the other side of the door voice raised up once again. "Do not fear about your child, he is here and he is well." The man paused, it seemed something else was on his mind. "Though he seems to be tired, all he does is sleep." He added the statement as if it was an afterthought.

At the mention of Naruto her heart leaped. "If that is true can I see him, and why am I locked up. Am I even still within Konoha walls?" She had been questioning her location ever since she first awoke, then when this man spoke it only solidified her beliefs. This man whoever he was, was definitely not from Konoha she knew the voice of ever active shinobi and his was foreign. Even if the Kyūbi escaped from her, she knew the village wouldn't lock her up for it. However, after Minato shattered her believes, she no longer was so sure about that.

"If I open the door you have to promise not to attack, I only locked you up to know that you wouldn't go frantic when you awoke. Mothers can be rather unpredictable when it comes to their children. To your other question you are no longer within Konoha; you are now in the great city of Amegakure." As he was speaking the man, this Ame shinobi, placed his hand on the doorknob awaiting her response.

"I give you my word I will not attack when the door opens." Even as those words left her mouth Kushina was feeling for the seal on her lower back that held an emergency kunai. "Why am I here in Ame, did you abduct me on Hanzō orders?" Her voice started to crack. "All I want to do is see my baby's face." Kushina's emotion was real, yes, just as real as the kunai she now held in her hand; she would find out who this mysterious man was. The door creaked open and she could feel her chakra returning to her, so it turned out the chakra suppressing seals were not on her. With the opening of the door and the shadow of the man stepping into the room, she let her chains fly. The golden chains burst from her back like escaping cheetahs, each shinning golden segment held the power to suppress chakra much like the room she was placed in. These chains were the reason she was chosen to keep the Kyūbi at bay, and now they wrapped around the man in a rectangular prism glistening like a golden prison. Kushina sat up from the bed and walked over to the man, she placed the kunai in front of her ready to strike.

"Hanzō the Salamander is long dead, Amegakure is not the same place it was years ago." The man paused, and looked around at the barrier. "I believed you said that I had your word that you would not attack me." Kushina looked at the man strangely, here he was trapped in an unknown jutsu yet he looked calm.

"Oh, but I did Mr. Red Head." For the first time Kushina was able to take in the view of her abductor. He was a tall slender man with hair as red as hers, his outfit consisted of a royal purple kimono coat, white undershirt and deep purple pants. When Kushina looked at his face she gasped, his eyes were purple. It wasn't just the fact that the iris was purple, the entire eye was purple; pupil, sclera, and iris all were purple was the most mysterious rippled pattern in them. Also upon closer inspection, there were streaks of white in his hair, as if all the life was sucked out of the blood red hair. Momentarily she forgot that she wanted to interrogate him. "I never attacked you; you see this is my Hiden it allows me to set up a barrier with my chakra alone, the only way out is if I wish it. But…" She licked the kunai in her hand, with the smallest amount of blood trickling from her tongue. "Violence is a powerful means of persuasion."

The man's eyes widen with surprise, at the news of the Hiden that the woman possessed. "If that is true than I suspect you have me held here for a reason." He placed his hands on the barrier and pushed against it. "You surprise me, this would take me a moment to be freed of."

"You are a perceptive one." She said with a narrowed glare. "Right now I only want one question answered, where my son is." The chains surrounding the man started to shrink the box further. "Lead me to him, than we might talk."

The man gave a slight nod of his head. "If I am to walk, these chains are to be my shackles?" Kushina gave a minor nod of the head. When she did the man turned around. "Follow me than, I will take you to your child." The scene was strange to Kushina, this man who ever he was extremely calm about this whole situation. As they left the black room that was her prison they walked in to a hall full of wooden panels.

As they walked Kushina couldn't help but look around. The walls were a deep cherry wood, her own Uzumaki Clan insignia was embedded into every three panels. "What is this place and why is my clan's symbol everywhere?" Very seldom did Kushina get nervous, now was one of those few occasions. She thought that the man might be some fanatic, or maybe he was a distant relative. As they continued to walk, the man did not reply so she just keep looking, to her right they passed some windows. "I wonder what has become of this village." Out the window she looked, and then she audibly gasped.

"Impressive isn't it? Most have never seen a town made of metal. We had to build to this way because it rains most of the time." For the first time since their initial meeting, the man talked. "The name is Nagato by the way, not Mr. Red Head."

"The mystery man has a sense of humor, who would have thought." She never took her eyes off of the sight. "Keep walking I would like to see my son." They walked for about five more minutes until Nagato stopped at a door. "Is this where my son is?" The man nodded. Kushina rushed past him and pulled the door open wide. Her heart stopped, if only just for a second. What she saw brought her to visible tears. Naruto-chan, her baby was sleeping like an angel. She released the man from her prison, and ran to the baby's side and knelt down next to him to hold him.

"As I promised I never meant to bring the child harm, all I wish is to talk to you." With a face full of tears of joy all Kushina could do was nod her head, no words could escape her mouth. "My full name is Nagato Uzumaki and I would like to rebuild our clan."

Kushina heard every word the man said but couldn't careless right know. "Just give me a minute with my child and we can talk." She was glad that her voice started to work again. Nagato nodded and walked away and closed the door behind him.

XXX

As Nagato turned around he saw a familiar face, it was a woman, she had blue hair that reached the top of her shoulder blades. Nagato smirked, there was only one person in the entire town that would step into his house uninvited. "Konan, what do I owe the pleasure."

"None or maybe it's the woman that I almost died to get." The woman, Konan, voice was clipped, although she was loyal to Nagato the meeting with their former sensei brought up memories that she wished to have stayed hidden. "Have the two of you talked yet." As of right it seemed now those memories where telling her to be direct.

"No, not yet at least, the woman just came back from the dead and saw her son for the first time. I will give her a minute I am a kind god after all." He said the last part with a wink. It was a running gag with the two of them, after they had taken down Hanzō's regime the people started to believe him to be a god.

"I understand Lord Nagato." She said with an over exaggerated bow.

Back in the room

"Oh, my little baby Naru-chan, what will we do we can't go back to Konoha now." Again Kushina's eyes started to tear up, again they were wet with tears of joy. "I had such a good life planed for you, dattebane." She wiped her violet eyes that turned blood shot over this ordeal. "You were going to grow up filled with love, now that can't happen because of your imprudent father." She lifted Naruto up from the carriage and laid with him on a bed in the room. "From now on it will be me and you against the world." Naruto woke for the first time since she entered the room. He looked at her like he understood every word she said. The two of them stayed like that and fell back to sleep, as Kushina slept she went back to the finally moments that she would love Minato.

Yesterday post-birth

"Minato, step away from the Kyūbi Jinchūriki." Kushina raised her head and saw her newborn child with a kunai position at his throat. A man with an orange mask and black design was holding Naruto. She looked at Minato and he was frozen.

"Minato get Naruto, don't worry about me." Kushina's voice was horsed after the screams of labor, but she still had voice to worry on her son. The sound of Kushina's voice brought the blonde man out of his trance like state. Although she wanted to get up she knew she couldn't do anything right now, the Kyūbi was fighting her way too hard. "_You will stay in there Kyūbi_." The sweat on her brow was visible.

"Kushina." Minato's voice was dry, sounds that escaped his mouth was barely above a whisper. "I can't move I have to protect my village before my child." She couldn't believe him after just one look at her Naru-chan she fell in love. Did he not do the same? A look of dejection settled on Minato's face.

"Yondaime, it seems you are having trouble thinking right now." The masked man interrupted the couple's dialogue. "Then let me help you." The masked man tossed Naruto up in the air.

"MINATO!" Kushina screeched his name, and he disappeared in a yellow flash. Somehow he appeared next to Naruto, his hand were positioned perfect for the baby. The next second an explosion went off where her child and husband was only for them to be gone in another flash. Kushina propped up her back against the head board of the bed she was on. "Who are you, what do you want with me?" A hint of red gleamed from the only eye hole in the mask.

"Why would I do anything to you; you just had a child Kushina, I would never hurt a woman in your state. But the Kyūbi might, all I want is for nature to take its course." The man gave a deep menacing laugh and the red in in his eyes became more pronounced; with that she saw a spinning Sharingan.

As the extraction was happening, she felt her blood was being replaced with acid. The pain was never ending but all she could think about was how Minato hesitated. As she saw all of the chakra leave her body and form the demon she kept at bay since her grandaunt died the masked man gave off a deep and crazed laugh, the typed only produced in asylums. As the bijū took on its fool size it burst through the granite top of the cave into the sky. With a struggled breath Kushina looked up at the monster with eyes filled of regret and sorrow.

"The Uzumaki vitality is truly amazing for you to survive the extraction." Kushina looked up at the masked man standing over her. A sick twisted smile shone through his single red eye. "I will leave you with a gift before I kill you. You aren't the first Uzumaki I've met." Kushina looked at him as if knowing other Uzumakis being alive was supposed to mean anything at her last breath, how was she supposed to understand that cryptic message. "Kyūbi finish the job." She readily embraced death only to be surprised to see slivers of blonde hair in front of her face, the next second her surrounding were replaced with that of a cottage.

"What happened?!" Minato's voice was raising rapidly, his demeanor changed from the man she loved to a lion looking at its prey. Kushina thought it was some type of genjutsu, she tried to expel it. "How could you let the Kyūbi get out?" Emotions showed on his face that she never seen before, a look of disgust went her way. "Now I must clean up your mess." With that he was gone in a yellow flash again.

At that moment she broke, what was worst the slow burring pain that her chakra produced or the way Minato started to act towards her? Out of her quite sobs she heard the softest of cries, Naruto, she looked up to see her baby with a full head of blonde hair. "Blonde." A cruel dry scoff was produced from her throat. "Why did it have to be Blonde?" New tears started to fall from her face. "Hey, Naru-chan from now on it will be me and you against the world, is that alright buddy." The barely minute year old baby looked up at her, and against all odds he started to laugh. Soon the small room she was in was filled with the innocent laugh that only Naruto produce.

XXX

Somewhere in the mix of sobs and laughter Kushina had drifted off to sleep with Naruto in her arms. "Get up." A cold voice woke her from her sleep, it was Minato and he looked like he had just danced with the devil. "Come on, we have to seal the Kyūbi back up." She looked at him weakly, before he picked up Naruto.

"It was just extracted from me I need a little time to regain strength for another sealing." She still felt the dull pain the first extraction had caused to her chakra system, and she started to feel it repair itself. A small smile graced her lips as she saw Minato held a hand out to her for help. She grabbed it and they disappeared in a flash of yellow light.

"Sorry Kushina, you're not the one were sealing the Kyūbi in. If we did you would die and the beast would just reincarnate later." Kushina looked around for whom the next Jinchūriki would be only to see a decimated clearing in the middle of the forest on the outskirts of Konoha, than she looked into Minato's arms.

"No, Minato he is our child. We can't let him grow up like that." Kushina's eyes started to fill up with droplets of water that could drown her. She looked at Minato and saw only the face of a shinobi.

"It's your own fault for letting the Kyūbi get extracted in the first place." His voice was cold to her ears. "Now I must seal the monster into my only son."

"Please Minato it doesn't have to be that way; I can drag him into me. You will be ready when it revives." Kushina knew all too well the fate of a child that was burdened to hold a bijū, a Jinchūrikis life is not an easy one. "He is _our_ son we cannot let him live that way."

Minato's face went to another place, he had disconnected himself for this current time. "Do you know why the reason I saved you that day long ago?" She didn't know where the question came from, and what occasion was he talking about. After all they were shinobi and they had fought in many life and death situations with each other. "It was the time when Kumo abducted you when we were young." He must have known she was trying to figure out the exact time he meant. "It was because you were the Jinchūriki; I have always wanted to become Hokage you know." Whatever sentimental feeling Minato was having Kushina didn't understand why now he must have brought it up. "So I always researched on how to become a Kage, one of the most common things are actually that Jinchūriki are related somehow to the Kage." Kushina didn't want to believe it, but she knew where this was going. "That's why Kushina, that's the reason I saved you, it was to become Hokage. Now in order to immortalize my position I will seal it into my own son. They will hate him and love me more. You were nothing more than a tool for me to become Hokage, for that I am sorry. But you will still be there to raise him. That is why right now I'm asking for your help, I will die and you can raise our son any way you like." Never in her life have Kushina hated someone more than now.

She produced chains out of her back. "I will help you, if only for the sake of seeing you die, Naruto will know the type of man you are. And he will hate you for it." The next part Kushina was unsure of, she thought she saw him smile, if only for a brief second. "I can't believe I once wanted to be Hokage if that is what it took." She covered her, Minato, Naruto, and the Kyūbi in a dome of chains and then the sealing began.

Present time

A door squeaked from behind Kushina, and she lifted her head to see who it was. It took her a moment to recall where she was and the events of the past day. At first she saw a man's feet and they held the same pale color that Minato had. That is when she remembered and hoped the whole last day was an awful dream. As she looked up she saw Nagato, so it wasn't Minato. It was all true and she was lost. "How is it that I'm alive?" She looked the man in the eyes and searched them for answers. "And don't say something smart like 'by breathing.'" Her whole demeanor showed that of a tired and defeated person.

Nagato returned her unwavering gaze. "What do you know of the Uzumaki?" Nagato walked over to a chair and sat across from her.

"What? What the hell are you talking about dattebane?" She was flustered what did she know of the _Uzumaki?_, she was one of the last Uzumakis that's what she knew.

"Did you know our heritage is filled with as many mysteries as the Sage of Six Paths? You know of him right." Nagato's eyes started to shine in the dark confines of the small room as he spoke.

"Of course I know him; he's the mythical man that found chakra and taught it to everyone. Everyone heard the story when they were children." It was a child's story really, a tale of heroics and such, and if you were a bad little child it was a threat that the Jūbi would come for you.

"Well that's were your wrong, the Sage was alive and human as much as you or me. Also he wasn't the first to have chakra, it was his mother." At that moment Naruto awoke from his slumber once again. He stated to cry and Kushina picked up and started to sooth him.

"Oh, is that so. If it was then how would you even know?" Nagato pulled a weathered scroll from the insides of his kimono, on the claps was the symbol of the Uzumaki. "Where did you get that?" Kushina reached her hand out to touch it, but pulled it back at the last second.

"This," Nagato said as he started to unroll the scroll. "Is from Uzushio, directly from the clan heads study." As the scroll unraveled tiny scribbles and pictures were preserved in perfect condition along the interior of the scroll. Nagato pointed to the first section which had a picture of a woman sleeping, in her dreams was a tall tree that only bore one fruit. "This is Kaguya Ōtsutsuki, the Sage's mother, she was a princess of her time. Within her kingdom there was a great war being fought, and it seemed there was no end. So she prayed to Kami for a miracle, what she got in return was a dream of a tree high in the mountains. Soon she left on a pilgrimage to find the tree in her dreams."

Next Nagato pointed to a frame with to opposing massive armies of samurai that stood against each other. "When she left the king, her father, became frantic. He thought that his enemies came during the night and stole his daughter away. So began a new campaign that brought deaths to new heights. All while this was going on, his daughter was on her pilgrimage to the tree she saw in her dreams. Once she got there, she prayed again, the next day Kami came to her in person. With Kami was a fruit from the tree in her dreams, she was told that the fruit had the power to stop all wars, and to create them if she wasn't careful." As Nagato explained this all he pointed to each picture that showed the scene. "Finally Kami make her promise not to share the power he granted her with anyone else, or he would take her mind and make her his personal weapon."

"So let me guess, she makes are promise and gets the fruit, right? What does that have anything to do with the fact that I came back from the dead." Kushina thought it was a sweet story, but it wasn't what she wanted to know.

A tick mark appeared on Nagato's forehead, he had never like being interrupted. "If I could finish you would find out. Yes, she makes the promise, than she travels back to her home and finds the new destruction. When she asks her father how it happened, he explains his grief looking for her. Kaguya could not accept it and says this is the reason she left in the first place. She than shows her father her knew found ability and tells him the story of how she received it. The king eagerly ask where he can find this fruit she eat to arm his samurai. She realizes that it is her father that continues the war because of his greed, so she kills him and marries the prince of the rival kingdom creating peace. The peace lasted for a while and the new queen and king had a child named Hagoromo, you know him as the Sage of Six Paths. The child was born with chakra, and the ultimate dōjutsu called the Rinnegan."

"As you now know Kaguya had made a deal with Kami not to share her powers with anyone, after much thought and grievance Kaguya decided that she would kill her child if he ever used chakra. After while she grew complacent and had another child, this one born with chakra as well. Again she made the same promise to herself. After time past Kaguya grew more and more worried and about Kami coming to her to reap vengeance. So she traveled back to the tree that originally gave her the power and tried to give it back. Only her plan back fired and she merged with the tree and became the very thing she feared in the first place. When merged with the tree she became known as the Jūbi and started a war on humanity herself." As Nagato spoke the frames became darker in nature and depicted what looked like Armageddon.

"Once word of the Jūbi reached Hagoromo and his brother, Hamura, they traveled to defeat their corrupted mother. The battle lasted for days but at last the brother were able to defeat their mother. Hagoromo split her from Jūbi and seal her into the moon. With the Jūbi now a mindless and chakra beast he used his powers to seal it in himself, thus becoming the world's first Jinchūriki. Afterwards he went on to live a full life, he taught others how to harness and use chakra. On his teaching he married and had three children two sons and a daughter; the first son was born with his ocular powers gaining the strength of this powerful chakra and spiritual energy, which we call ninjutsu and genjutsu also he received the same eyes as the Sage that we know as dōjutsu. The second son got his physical powers gaining the life force and physical energy, which we call senjutsu and taijutsu he was also gifted with the ability to combine elements we know this as kekkei genkai, lastly his daughter inherited his mental powers gaining his writing skills and weapon knowledge, which we call fūinjutsu and bukijutsu she also learn how to harness yin and yang chakra to create Hiden." The images on the scroll showed the marriage of the Sage, him practicing with his three children and his teaching to different clans.

"The story is beautiful and all, but again what does it have to do with me." She loved the story, although it was different from most conventional telling of the stories it sounded familiar to her. "I wanted to know how it is that I'm alive right now, not some legend of a long dead man."

"If you let me finish all things will become clear we are almost there. At Hagoromo's death bed he knew he had to split the chakra of the Jūbi less he wanted it to become whole again. So he separated the beast into nine different entities, we know them as the nine Bijū, but while he was able to bring peace to many people he felt he never complete his mission. So he decided to choose one of his children as heir to continue to spread his word of peace. One would think it would be the oldest son, but again that person would be wrong, Hagoromo entrusted his mission to his younger son. The older son became angry with his brother, claiming he stole his birthright they never settled it and their feud led down to their children. Now they are known as the Uchiha and Senju clans, the brother younger sister got tired of their feud and left home she married away into a family named Uzumaki. That is the story of the Sage and his family, now why would I tell you this, well it's because I, Nagato Uzumaki, is the Second Sage of Six Paths. The eyes that I have are the same as those that the Sage had. With them I have the same abilities, which also include powers of life and death. I used my powers to bring you back from the gates of death." Now that Nagato was finished, he expected questions from the ever-talkative Kushina. Surprisingly she said nothing for a while. Finally she spoke.

"Why?" Kushina rose from her spot next to her baby and looked at the man quizzically. "If you could bring anybody back why choose me of all people. Why not bring back the others from the clan?" Kushina wanted to believe him, this Nagato, and his story but something didn't sit right with her. Just then a light click on in her head. "That story, it's the one from Uzushiogakure, I remember my father used to tell it to me before bed. Are you telling the truth are you really the same."

"Yes I am but, I can't bring everyone back. There are limitations to the skill, I can't bring back anyone more than a day past and the comeback in the same condition they were in three hours before death. That way if the person was deathly ill before it wouldn't help. Also every time I use it a couple of strains of my hair drains of all color. Once if my hair transforms all white than I will die, it is not the only technique of mine that would do that changes my hair, but it is the most potent. Having the power of a Kami is not all that it would seem in the end." Nagato rarely told anyone of his weaknesses, but Kushina was different, well at least in his eyes. She was family, and he had been on a search for one for so long now that he would grasp any strings he needed. "Kushina Uzumaki I chosen you for one specific reason, I want you to join me and the restoration of our clan. I want to finish the mission of the First Sage of Six Paths, and bring true peace to all nations of the world."

Kushina didn't know what to do; Nagato just told her that he was on some type of holy crusade brought to him by the Sage of Six Paths. "At first my heart wants to say yes, but I can't help but get a feeling that you aren't telling me the whole true." Probably a part of her was not ready to let Konoha go, it was her home for years before this happened. Then again, she now hated it more than Kumo, Iwa, and Kiri together. Also she couldn't help but remember what the masked man had said. 'You aren't the first Uzumaki I've met.' She couldn't help but wonder if this was the cryptic Uzumaki that the masked man spoke of.

"Kushina." The woman looked at the man, she gazed into his eyes. "I need you to join me, my parents died when I was pretty young, and I never really got to learn any of our family's skills. All I found in the village was scrolls of history. While you were raised in Uzushio, you have the skills of our clan hidden in your mind. With the two of us working together we have a chance of rebuilding what we once lost."

Kushina nodded her head, she sat in the chair directly next to the man and grasped his hands. "Nagato, while I do not know much of you besides that we are related by blood. I cannot return to Konoha anymore, it seems that we are now stuck together by fate. I will join you and your mission." For the first time in a while, she felt a genuine smile appear on her face.

"Fate, Kushina is a funny thing. Once I thought fate was the reason I received these eyes; than once someone told me it was fate that so many of my comrades died. Now you say it is by fate that we are stuck together, I wonder what fate has destined for me next." Nagato smiled at the woman. "We have much to talk about, Kushina." With that Nagato arose from his seat, and walked to the door. With his left hand on the doorknob he left his right hand open for Kushina to grab. "Follow me into a new order, no follow me into a new world for _fate_ has decided that we will rebuild what was once lost to this dissident place. We shall return what it took three great nations to destroy. We will being about the resurrection of the Uzumaki clan."

Kushina rose from her seat and grasped his hand once again, what she didn't know was that taking Nagato's hand would change the course of history, with the interlocking of their figures they would bring the world to fear the Uzumaki name. As they left the room she took one last glance at Naruto, and the man he would have become. No longer will he be Naruto Uzumaki, Hero of the Hidden Leaf, from this day forward he will be known as Naruto Uzumaki, The Yellow Prince of Amegakure. She closed the door gently behind them where she could no longer hear the soft snores her child. She turned around and started to follow Nagato down the halls. "Where are we going?" The Red Hot-Blooded Habanero was feeling nervous.

"I will show you your new family, the members of my organization that will help us achieve our goal." Now that they were in the open with windows Kushina saw a glint of excitement in his eyes. "Our name will make people see the light we are Akatsuki. Right now there is about six of us including you." At this point they were running down the halls, as they reached a door it burst open into a rooftop.

"How will six people will change the world? We need a work force big enough to go against the great nations." Every step they took were now leaps from buildings, they were going at a pace she hadn't gone since she been on maternal leave.

"Each of our members are strong enough to be a Kage, some like me are even stronger. You will meet them soon; then there will be no one that can question our collective strength." They stopped outside of the building that had a face mounted against the wall. "This is Akatsuki be ready." They opened the doors, walked in, and was surrounded by darkness. Nagato slipped away leaving Kushina alone, there was a sudden increase in killing intent. "Your test begins now."


	3. Chapter 2

**Chapter Two: Your test begins now**

**A/N: Hey guys, sorry for the long wait. I was having trouble ending this chapter, originally it was going to be doubled what is here. So I had to work on cutting it down and grammar editing, but on the plus side, I have half of the next chapter already written. This chapter is mostly fight scenes so tell me how I did, I also tried a new method of writing the jutsu tell me which style you prefer. **

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><p>"Your test begins now."<p>

The second those words left Nagato's mouth, he slid his hand from hers, and once their hands separated Kushina could only sense one thing; danger. In a rush she turned round to reach the doorway once more and go away the ominous building, but when she twisted round, she found out that somebody/thing had slammed it shut. She was engulfed her in darkness. "What test." Kushina shouted out into the blackness around her. The room gave off a lot of Killing Intent, she wondered if this the warning that she should have headed from the masked man.

With that resolve, she felt the need to rely on her kunoichi skills, she closed her eyes and opened her ears. Through a rift in the normal whispers of the calm wind in the room, she heard a piercing sound breaking the air and flying towards her. She dropped her right hand and let it swipe across her lower back, quickly she repeated the motion with her left hand. Two short popping sounds were heard in succession, she tightened her knuckles until they turned white against the cold metal kunais she now held in both hands. With eyes still closed, she waited seconds until the object racing threw the sky reached her. At the last moment she opened her eyes and saw in a hazed item. Channeling chakra to one kunai she intercepted the objected that flew towards her. As her first kunai sliced the object she felt it was metal and of similar weight, with the chakra charged kunai she sliced through the object and felt it liquefy. "What's the meaning of this Nagato, what about being _family_." She spat the last word out of her mouth as if it caused her tongue to burn.

A rushing sound came from her left and she jumped in the air. Once she landed, she felt her feet were wet. "Kushina." It was Nagato's voice, it seemed to be coming from all around her. "Did you actually believe I would just let you join our group, I told you we consisted of Kage level Shinobi. Before you join we must determine if you are worthy." Kushina was turning in circles to try and find the source of Nagato's voice, after his monologue she saw a faint electrifying blue light in the distance. She narrowed her vision on the light and saw the light arc towards the ground. She flipped in the air, narrowly missing the section of the floor, she was just standing on light up with water conducted by lightning.

While still in the air Kushina rushes through seals. "**Doton: Earth-style wall**." Beneath her the ground broke and a slab of earth rose into the air tapping her feet. "What if I don't want to join your group, I told you I would help with the restoration of the Uzumaki Clan. I never agreed to this." She was looking at the ground, which was still lit up with electricity. "Why do you need an S-Ranked mercenary group to restore our Clan? I thought this organization was going to bring peace, this _initiation_ seems fit for war." The lightning arched up the slab of earth and caused an explosion at the upper side of the slab.

"Kushina you should know that it is too late for any second thoughts." The woman in question had escaped the explosion by wrapping herself in a barrier of chains, they enabled her to take minimum damage. "We are not yet ready for the world to know about us, if you want out you will have to die. Don`t worry about Naruto, if you want out I will raise him for you."

Kushina didn't know if he was attempting to taunt her, but it was working. "I don't know if you know the saying 'hell hath no fury like a woman scorned', but right now I'm pissed; I was the second best Kunoichi behind Tsunade, one of the three great Sannin of Konoha." She didn't know what the test would be, but it would be best if they feared her.

"Ah, I haven't heard from my good old teammates in a while." Kushina's blood froze at the sound of that voice, Tsunade only had two teammates and she was pretty sure that wasn't Jiraiya's voice. "Now that I think of it, it was not since that foolish old Monkey tried to kill me. Please Kushina-chan tell me how they are doing." The voice was silky smooth and she couldn't believe that she was hearing it once again.

Orochimaru's voice produced an acrylic earthy smell, it seemed that the Sannin had spent too much time with snakes. Once she looked up to Orochimaru, after all he was one of the few true scientists to exist in the Shinobi world; and then he deserted the village. Now they both were in the same room, she briefly wondered if people would think of her as a traitor. "Orochimaru I guess this is where you've been hiding." Her goal was to strike fear into them, but somehow it backfired on her. "Tsunade left a while ago, she got Minato to sign off on a traveling license. Jiraiya still runs the spy network." Kushina knew that she didn't already tell him anything he didn't know, while Jiraiya was the spy master out of the group Orochimaru wasn't known to shy from the occasional espionage mission.

"If my memory serves correct, she developed a Hemophobia am I right?" Kushina nodded in the darkness. She didn't know if he could see her, but that low glow produced form the lighting was still lit her immediate surroundings. "Ku ku ku." His laugh sent a chilling feeling down her back. "It's not wise for a medic-nin to be afraid of blood is it?" If she wasn't positive that they were taunting her before she was now, Orochimaru could descend upon any second.

"Enough with all of the small talk, what is this test I need to take. Surly that little display of power wasn't it. Perhaps I am to fight one of you?" As of this second she knew one of the members had the Rinnegan, and the other was the Snake Sannin, and there were still three members that she didn't know about. "I'm guessing that this test is supposed to make me shake right." Maybe she wasn't showing that she was shaking, but she was mentally, now she could only imagine who was next.

"Well said Kushina, we have spent too much time talking. The test is relatively simple all you have to do is _survive_." Survive, she found that ironic. Nagato already told her she might die, like saying the word survive changed anything. "This group is made up of survivors. It was born through survival, hence you must be initiated by survival. Good luck Kushina because you must face the might of two other members of Akatsuki for a full hour. Let us see if you can _survive_ it."

The single good thing Kushina heard from Nagato's speech is that she would not have to fight him. The thought of facing the man who claimed to be the new Sage of Six Paths was sure to be a difficult thing mano a mano let alone him with a partner. Although the rest of his little speech made her worried, how would she be able to fight two people she knew nothing about? While she wouldn't want to fight Orochimaru normally she would rather fight him than two people she knows nothing about that was at his same level. A primitive sound snapped her out of her head, the creature calling out seemed like it was energetic. "Samehada quite down, the Uzumaki girl's chakra can't be that good."

Samehada, this was good for Kushina she had heard the name before. She had a flashback memory when she first learned of the Seven Ninja Swordsmen of the Mist, she was at a blacksmith's shop and saw the pictures of the legendary swords. She and the shop owner talked some time about them, after that she kept up with the current wielder of each weapon. A small smile graced her lips as she now knew another member of Akatsuki. Now all she needs to do was make sure she would fight them. "Kisame Hoshigaki, it's not good to give your opponent any information so that they might find out about you, after all the Monster of the Hidden Mist is even known in Konoha. Nagato what type of people do you hang out with, Orochimaru, who betrayed Konoha for his illegally testing on humans. And Kisame Hoshigaki who killed his own master to become one of the Seven Ninja Swordsmen of the Mist." She was feeling confident knowing that she was becoming familiar with her enemies.

"Kushina, it is a shame that you believe everything that your village tells you. I wonder what they will start to say about you, Kushina Uzumaki the woman who unleashed the Kyūbi no Yōko upon her village in order to deflect from it." Nagato's voice sounded sad as if these two people deserved any sympathy. "Since you believe know so much about the both of them, they will be your opponents. We will see if they can live up to their reputations."

"Nagato how can you say that." Up until yesterday she was ready to die for her village and never raise a single arm against them, even now with her anger towards Minato she would be apprehensive about attacking them. "I'm ready when your lackeys are." While she didn't know if that comment would anger Kisame, but she knew Orochimaru would never submit to anyone else.

"You insolent girl." A wave of chakra burst forth from the darkness of the room, shattering the pillar she had created and scattering the water and lighting canceling the jutsu. "How dare you call me a lackey, I will show you why I am known as a Sannin." This was good for Kushina since she knew a limited amount of Orochimaru's skills, therefore she knew what would happen next. She took to the air again and started to charge chakra to her hand, Minato had started to teach her how to use the Rasengan but they never finished the lessons. The incomplete **Rasengan** was almost about to burst when she smashed it into the cold earth beneath her. As she expected it annihilated about a half dozen snakes that started the slither their way towards her.

Before Orochimaru had a chance to attack again, she released chains from her back. As they escaped from her body, they traveled along the any physical object, walls, floors, or ceilings it was all the same to her chains. As they linked up with each other they gave forth a dim gleam of yellow charka, they showed her the room she was in. The illumination allowed her to look at her adversaries for the first time. There were five of them, each was sitting atop a finger on the left hand of a stature that was embedded into the wall of the cavern that she was now in. She noticed that they all wore the same outfit, long dark cloaks with red clouds, a red interior, and a chin-high collar. As she guessed Orochimaru and Kisame were there, next she looked at the two unknown members, one was a female, she was a little taller than herself, her hair was blue and she had gray eyes with lavender eye shadow. The other man? If that was what you would call it, had two venus fly-trap like branches sticking out from his side, with green hair, yellow eyes, and his face was split into two different halves one was black, and the other white. "So this is the mighty Akatsuki, it doesn't look much to me right now."

With that statement Kushina jumped back into a defensive stance and tore into her pants with the kunai in her hand. The black fabric of her pants was sliced her upper inner thigh on the left leg. The skin reviled the Uzumaki swirl on it, she bit her thumb and smeared blood against her leg. The Uzumaki symbol glowed a dull red and doubled edged sword emerged in the earth in front of her. The blade was made out of black metal that shined against the faint golden light produced by her own chains. She relaxed her stance and raised the unsheathed blade over her head, after a deep, calming breath she looked at her foes. "Come on boys, let's dance."

The primeval growl sounded off again. "I know Samehada I can't wait to taste it either hopefully it's not too hot." With that Kisame ran past Orochimaru and raised his bandaged blade at Kushina. As the two clashed metal rang, the white binding on Kisame's rather large sword created sparks against the dark metal of Kushina's. Kushina flipped her blade and slid it along the side of the wrapping of Samehada letting the sentient sword free. Kisame's eyes sprung to life after seeing the woman let his weapon free. "Kushina Uzumaki you even knew what was under the bandages didn't you? Delicious." Saliva dripped from his tongue as he licked his lips. "I can`t wait to taste it!" The blue skinned man gave of a chilling laugh that shook Kushina's core. "This will be fun, two swordsman fighting to the death; isn't putting your lives on the line, just so exciting."

With the release of the sword Kushina had kept a cool exterior demeanor, but her inner mind was shocked by what came out of the bandages. She had heard that Samehada was sentient, but she never imagined it would have a mouth. She hastily jumped away from a wild swing produced by Kisame, then block a round house kick he followed with. "Sorry Kisame, if we would have met a year ago we could have had the fight you want." A burst a blue chakra came forth from Kushina's sword. "But that's not possible now, I have Naruto, and for him I will kill the Shinigami." Kushina disappeared in a smokeless **Shunshin, **and reappeared behind Kisame with her sword poised to strike. As her sword moved to dig into Kisame's back Samehada sprung to life and protected its user by covering his back and absorbing the chakra her sword gave off. Momentary surprised by the blade, she was hit by sharp and jagged scales that protrude from the weapon into her skin.

"Well Samehada I guess she wasn't all what we thought huh." A twisted smile came to Kisame's face as he saw the blood that rested on his blade. Kushina respond by ripping the blade from her flesh, letting blood spurt from the wound. Kisame smiled as he watched the woman clutching her stomach where Samehada had dug into.

"Kisame, I suggest your next strike be deeper." As she removed her hand from her stomach Kisame noticed Kushina's wound seal shut, around where to wound was a seal array written in her own blood. "Little scratches like this is no more than a nuisance." A cocky smirk danced around the lips of the woman. "I guess it's my turn to attack again, huh." Kisame gave his own smirk in returned, and motioned for her to go ahead. A gold chain materialized from her stomach the moment Kisame's hand and moved. The tip of the chain was sharpened and aimed right for his heart, Kisame responded by raising his weapon to block the blow. To his surprise, he felt no push back from a strike against his weapon, instead the chain started to wrap around it.

"What did you do to Samehada?" Kisame could see the golden ethereal glow that the chains produced which signaled that they were made from chakra, but Samehada was having no effect on them. As the chain slithered around his weapon, it became to stiffen, from there the golden restraints began to slither onto its handle stretching straight towards Kisame's hand. Realizing that Kushina was trying to reach him, Kisame released the blade and flashed through seals. "**Suiton: Wild Water Wave**." A large wave was regurgitated from his mouth shooting towards Kushina. The wave pushed Kushina back and made her disengaged him.

"Haven't you wondered why my chains around the room have not disappeared if they are made of chakra and Samehada absorbs it." This made the man look at his blade, seeing that it was free of the chains it moved normal again. "It's because of my chains special ability. They seal away chakra, I don't know how the hell that blade was created, but I'm pretty sure it runs on charka. That sword will have no effect on me, you'll have to try harder to win if that was your trump card." The only thing Kisame did was widened his smile. "You have been considered the Zero-Tailed Beast, but unlike you I had a real Tailed Beast inside of me. How about we see exactly who has the most chakra."

"You know Kushina Uzumaki I like you, hopefully you don't die today." Kisame raised his weapon into the air pointing it skyward. "**Heavenly Ocean Blessing**." A large column of water was summoned down from the sky and poured down on Kushina immobilizing her. Spikes made of hard water erupted from inside the pillar, skewering the captive woman. As blood flowed from the body trapped in the pillar of water Kisame let loose another maniacal laugh as he watched her body melt into water.

As Kisame watched the woman escape his trap the real Kushina crept up from the earth sneaking behind him. ""Kisame Hoshigaki, you should yield, in a battle of ninjustu you can't win." Kushina had her blade against his neck, the skin in front of his jugular was already split. Surprisingly Kisame ran against the blade and decapitated himself, the headless body melted away into water. Kushina turned around to see Kisame hands flying through seals, in return, she went through her own set.

"Kushina this is the most fun I have had in a while." He finished his set first. "**Suiton: Swordfish Dance**." The water column burst as corporal swordfish flew from it, they swam threw the air as they went toward their target who happened to just finish the jutsu that she was readying.

"**Suiton: Great Whirlpool**" Kushina started to spill water from her mouth into the space where the swordfish were coming. The water transformed into a whirlpool that grew bigger each time a fish swam into it, once Kisame's assault subsided the whirlpool fell onto the floor. She stepped into the water and put her hands into the tiger sign. From the water rose nine copies of Kushina. "I'm bored of this game Kisame, I already told you, you can't win in a game of ninjustu." The nine clones separated into three groups, they all rushed through seals. "I will say this one last time, yield."

Kisame laughed. "You'll have to do better than absorb some fish to scare me." He picked up Samehada and slashed it into the air in front of him. "**Rising Shark River**." The after shadow of the blade produced multiple foot long sharks with glowing blue eyes that flew towards the group of Kushinas.

"Fine, have it your way." Kushina jumped back as she let her copies finish their work. All nine of the copies stopped on the dragon seal as elements started to shift around them, from each group a dragon arose. Water, fire, and earth beasts raised up from the groups, interlinking with each other. "How do you like it, it's my combination attack. **Juvenile** **Hydra**, it may only have three heads, but it packs a punch." Kushina raised her right hand towards Kisame and the monster attacked, destroying the sharks it passed through.

Nearly half way to Kisame two Rashōmon gates appeared creating a giant explosion. "My, my Kisame, you are a very lucky man you know that." Orochimaru appeared from the debris, pulling the Sword of Kusanagi from his mouth. "Hopefully you two didn't forget about little old me." Two large snakes slithered around him in circles ready to strike on command.

"You know Orochimaru, I always wondered when you broke bad. You were once the Third's favorite student." She noticed him flinch when she mentioned the Third Hokage. "Is that a sore spot for the mighty Snake Sannin?" She **Shunshin** leaving behind an explosion of water and appeared behind the Sannin. "I wonder what color is a snake's blood." She whispered into his ear, next thing she did was slice Orochimaru in half.

Orochimaru's body broke away and turned into snakes, the earth bound reptilians descended on binding her in her place. "It's red just like yours." He was behind her licking the top of his lips with blood lust. "Did you actually believe something like that would work?" It was clearly a rhetorical question. "If so, I see the old man will just let anyone become a Kunoichi these days. Is the census low?" He lifted his weapon and brought it towards the woman's chin, the tip of the blade rested on her chin. The blade was forcing it upward, thus raising her face. "Do you know why I love this weapon?" Orochimaru nicked the blade on her chin causing a small cut to form. "It was forged by Kami himself, not even the Sage of Six Paths could break it."

"Oi, Orochimaru stop playing with the girl, let's see her bleed already." Kisame had recovered and was now next to his colleague. With the new addition to the crowd the Sannin looked at the man with an irritated look.

"No, she will learn. This _girl _as you say dared to question my strength, don't interfere." Kisame just shrugged and turned around. Only when he looked back at Kushina she was no longer there, in her place was a wooden doll with red hair. "You shark boy where did she go?"

Kisame put his hands up in a defensive matter. "You ordered me not to step in, right?" He showed his sharp teeth as he laughed at him. Orochimaru turned his sword toward Kisame. "What do you think you're doing?" He raised Samehada in defense against the Sannin.

"It was because of you that my retribution has been taken from me, if you didn't walk up here I could have finished this." The snakes by Orochimaru's feet started to hiss with fury.

"Oh boys." Both Kisame and Orochimaru stop and looked at Kushina standing feet from them with her sword drawn again. "Would you please not fight about me, there's plenty of me to go around." From behind her a second copy stood this one had forgone a sword and was holding a chigiriki made of chakra, it was being twirled in circles the sound of wind being sliced was heard.

"I want the one with the blade." Orochimaru stepped forward and motioned for Kisame to leave. He wanted enough space to deal with her without worrying about the shark boy. With a nod both Kisame and the other Kushina disappeared in a burst of water. "I wonder if he knows that he's fighting the clone."

Kushina just shifted into a ready stance. "And here I thought people weren't able to distinguish between **Shadow Clones** I'm pretty sure the Hyūga would be jealous."

Orochimaru raised his sword and pointed it at Kushina's head, and let expand. When the blade was inches from her face, Kushina ducked underneath it, she lifted her own blade in pushing Orochimaru's weapon into the air. The Snake's weapon continued to grow, it struck the barrier before it was stopped in its tracks; forcing the area to tremble under the force.

"Orochimaru-san I would have believed you, being as wise as you are, to know that it is not the sword that makes the man it is the man that makes the sword." When Orochimaru retracted the sword there was a fine scratch mark along the middle of his blade.

"Little Kushina Uzumaki I remember when you first came to Konoha, your own village was on the brink of destruction. Mito-san was so sad that you had to take on her burden, she begged the Third to send help." Orochimaru raised his hand to his hair that was hanging over his face and flipped it out of the way. "The Old fool refused, saying some trash about not having enough personal as it was. Even though I and Tsunade just came back from the fight with Hanzō, we offered to go. We would have at least made a dent in the enemy forces, but of course the Old Fool would rather have his strongest pawns stay closer to him than to help his own allies." Orochimaru was an expert in messing with people's mind.

"What is it what you're trying to say, is it that The Third is the big bad wolf and your little red. Although I'm pretty sure that red is the blood of all those orphans you researched on." Kushina was blinded by this new information about the destruction of her clan, not thinking clearly she charged at the Snake-man. In her rage, she forgot about her other opponent and it cost her. Kisame was upon her in a flash with Samehada at his side.

"That clone was no fun, it was gone with one solid strike." Something is Kisame's brain was wrong and he knew it, he loved the passion of battle too much. He slashed Samehada's jagged teeth through Kushina's skin grabbing a considerable amount of flesh and chakra as he did. Kushina fell forward at the feet of the Snake Sannin. "Look how the mighty have fallen, please tell me what you said again, wasn't it something about winning against me."

Kushina stood up, she coughed out a hand full of blood. "I said it and I meant it." The room started to shake as the chains that Kushina had in place started to shrink. They bypassed Nagato and company and enclosed her, Orochimaru, and Kisame. "You two should have never gotten close to each other. Now you mine." Kushina jumped out of her chained box and started to go through seals. "Any last wishes."

"Ku ku ku, Kushina-chan it seems the old lady taught you something before she died." Orochimaru knew exactly what Kushina was about to do, he saw it once when Mito Uzumaki was fighting in the Second Shinobi War. "Do you think this little trick will work against me?" Orochimaru started to form his own set of seals.

"Hey, Orochimaru mind sharing what's about to happen to the rest of us, we are on the same team right now, right?" The Sannin gave another one of his infamous laughs as he saw Kisame frantically try to prepare a defense for Kushina's assault. Thinking it over he decided that it would be less dare he say it _troublesome_ if Kisame were to live, so he will give him a hint. "Fi..." Before he was able to finish a word Kushina had jumped into action.

"**Katon: Fujin Trap**" As she shouted a stream of white fire erupted from her mouth, it enveloped both Orochimaru and Kisame in the raging white hot flames. After the fire raged on for about thirty seconds she stopped the stream from her mouth, next she let the chain break apart. The first couple of links transformed into sharpened blades and stab the remains of whatever survived.

When the flames died down all she saw was a skewered and burnt Orochimaru, and Kisame was nowhere in sight. It looked like he had abandoned Samehada as it was laying on the floor. Abruptly Orochimaru's mouth opened and he regurgitated himself, and Samehada's mouth opened and Kisame came out. To her utter disbelief both of them were unharmed by her strongest attack. While she was standing limply holding onto her side, losing a considerable amount of blood from the shark man's last attack. "Hey, Kushina that was a hot attack, although you gave Samehada a stomach ache." Kisame was yawning as he stretched.

Orochimaru and Kisame raised their respective weapons and walked towards Kushina. She backtracked, starting to fear for her life, she didn't know what else to do. She had used some of her best moves and they stopped them at every turn. Her back hit against the wall, she was cornered. There was no escape in sight, and the men were still approaching. She grabbed her blade and held it out in front of her. Orochimaru stepped ahead and approached her with a sinister smile on his face, he reached out his left hand to touch her. On instinct Kushina slashed at it, his arm where the blade would have connected split apart with snakes and reformed. His hand was on her shoulder and all Kushina could think about was Naruto growing up as an orphan. Orochimaru's smile brightens showing his perfect white fangs. "Congratulations, are in due." Kushina blinked. "Welcome into Akatsuki."

The cave lit up with lights hanging from the ceiling befuddled Kushina stared back at the old Sannin. "What?" She blinked her eyes again, her mind wasn't processing what was happening at the moment. She would have thought he might kill her, but he congratulated her instead. "What did you say?" Her face was now full of bewilderedness.

"Are you hard of hearing Kushina-chan, I said welcome to Akatsuki." Kushina looked behind the man to see her other opponent just wrapping Samehada back up. "The hour is up and you've survived etcetera, etcetera; you are now a member of the world's most dangerous mercenary group. Don't tell me you weren't keeping time that last stunt of yours ended up when the time ran. Surly I believed it was the reason you stopped the onslaught." Orochimaru just walked away, hopped on top of the ring finger on the left hand of the statue. Somehow it looked like he enjoyed his position on the finger. "We have much to talk about, after you are healed that is." The Sannin's face scrunched up as he looked towards the blood that stained Kushina's clothing.

Kushina just blinked she forgot all about the time, with the killer intent that they were leaking. She surly thought it was a battle to the death, at one point Kisame did say just that. "What the hell was with all the theatrics at the end, then, dattebane, I thought I was going to die. Kisame ripped flesh from my body." Nine clumps of hair separated on top of her head and raised into the sky, her eyes turned to Nagato. "And why the hell didn't you tell me the time was up, weren't you supposed to keep the time for us?"

Nagato sweat dropped. "Kushina I figured you being as capable as you showed that you would keep the time for yourself." Suddenly a golden chain was wrapped around the man. "Wait you aren't in a state of health to try to attack me." He placed a hand on the chain was Kushina felt her chakra drain as her jutsu dissipated, Nagato then ran through a couple of seals and slammed his hands on the ground. Near where he slammed his hands a statue of a face with the kanji for hell on top of its head appeared. "This will heal you, like nothing happened, see no harm no foul."

Kushina stumbled back further against the wall. "No harm, no foul, that thing says Hell on it. I don't want to go to Hell." Her eyes narrowed in suspicion. "You said that you would raise my child if I died, are you some type of pervert; I thought that was Orochimaru's M.O." Said man could be heard coughing in the background. "Will have to find a remedy for that now won't we." She licked her blade and stared straight to Nagato. "I wonder if all Uzumaki's blood is red." A devilish grin settled on her face, she tasted her own blood. "Also, does is also taste the same?"

As she was approaching him Orochimaru sighed. "You two have time for fooling around later. Right now we must talk business." At that both of them blushed. "Seriously young people these days, you have sex as a way of greeting each other. Honestly, what's wrong with your generation? Kushina dear, I didn't know you were into masochism with how you look, there would be blood everywhere by the time you finished."

"Orochimaru-senpai, what are you talking about I…I… I'm a lady if you don't mind." Kushina just caught her words, she hadn't called the man senpai sense they were both in ANBU. "I just had Naru-chan I'm not like that." She looked at her old senior reading his eyes to see if the construct would do her any harm, as she saw no malice in them she decided to trust these people. . "Do I just walk in it?" Nagato moved his head, affirming what she said, and Kushina did just that, before she was astonishingly healed.

"Now that you're all healed and done with your fornication talk Kushina-chan we have important things to discuss, sit down and I will tell you a story." Seeing that the woman was going to rebut what he just said he waved her off dismissively like she was a child. "Do you want to know the real reason behind my treason or are you content with the lies you've been told your whole life." He could tell what he just said had peeked her interest, but there looked like there was still something on her mind.

"Orochimaru." It looked like she decided to drop the formalities again. "You seem to have a lot of stories now, but I can't stay." All the man did was raise an eyebrow as if he wanted to know her reason, Kushina replied with a small smile and a single word. "Naruto."

The man stood from his place on the hand. "How could I forget the seed of the Yondaime, go spend time with your child. This old man can tell you his stories another day." At that he **Shunshined **leaving behind a small pile of snakes scurrying towards the ground.

"Hey Habanero." Kushina's head whipped around when she heard Kisame's voice, when she looked at him her face betrayed her thoughts. "Yeah, yeah, I know all about the Red Hot-Blooded Habanero, but you don't know all about the Monster of the Hidden Mist. After snake face tells you his story you're going to listen to mine. You got that." Kushina nodded oddly at the blue skinned man before he **Shunshined** erupting in an explosion of water.

"Hey girl." Kushina looked back at the hand to see the other woman in the room looking at her. "Next time before you claim to know people find out their history, if you weren't paying attention earlier were all here for a reason. There is no reason to sprout the lies of the _Great_ Five OK." Without waiting for a response she left in a **Shunshin** made of paper.

"I'll too be taking my leave Leader-sama." The man with the plant like appendages sunk into the ground.

"So… what the hell was that all about?" Kushina and Nagato were the last people left in the cavern after everyone left in such dramatic ways.

Nagato jumped down from the middle finger on the hand and landed next to the door. "Hmm, I wonder, follow me." With that, he walked out the door without waiting to see if Kushina would follow him.

After seeing Nagato leave Kushina ran to follow him, after all she didn't know her way around the village yet. "Hey Nagato." She called at but he continued to walk ahead of her, after getting tired of being annoyed, she grabbed his arm and forced him to turn. "What's everyone's deal, I passed your little test, but you all act like I did a crime!"

After she was able to see his full form once again, she was surprised to see his eyes puffy. "You don't get it do you?" He turned back around and continued to walk down the path of the road. "One would think, with you being a jinchūriki you would understand." He stopped in his tracks looking up at the burning sun above him. "When I said the Akatsuki was made of survivors I meant it. All of us were persecuted by our home villages." He raised his hand and let it block out the rays of the sun from his face. "Earlier when you were battling Orochimaru and Kisame, you brought up their _claimed_ wrong doings. Here in Akatsuki if we had to have one rule it would not to bring up the past. You said it yourself Orochimaru was once Hiruzen Sarutobi's favorite student, yet he was cast out of the only place he knew as home. Then when he was going to tell you this you also cast him out, to add insult to injury you reminded him you have a child while he has no one. You really do know how to make a first impression don't you, after they took the test on you easy too." Nagato released a sigh and started to walk back down the path.

Kushina didn't know what to say, she never thought of Orochimaru as an emotional person, hell she didn't even think of him as a human. So she did the only sensible thing she jogged back into place behind Nagato as they walked down the streets of Ame. The sun started to set before she started to talk again. "Hey, I didn't know OK. You can't have some secret rule than get upset when I don't follow it. Senpai…" Damn it, her mind traveled to a time her, she laughed with him at old war stories. "He said that he would come visit me later and tell me his story, so I'll apologize to him when he comes. I'll also ask forgiveness of Kisame when I next see him. And what do you mean that they took it easy on me, I fought for my life dattebane."

Nagato let out a dry laugh. "Yes, it did seem that way, but regardless of how good you are it was still two S-ranked Shinobi versus one. Not to mention while you and Kisame may be on equal ground of strength if Orochimaru wanted you dead there would be no trace left. He took pity on you because you came from the same village, maybe he has gotten lonely with all of us foreign Shinobi. He let you and Kisame battle it out for most of the time, he didn't step forward towards the end, which let me remind you is where you were overwhelmed." It was getting near night and children were still out playing a pair of them ran up to Nagato to get his autograph. "This place has become a refuge for all of us, while the rest of the world still thinks there is turmoil we are prospering in peace. Making amends is a good start, but remember in the future that we all have past that we need not brought up by our comrades."

Kushina was in deep thought was she really that naïve, this ragtag group of misfits were now her family for better or worst. Maybe she did start off on the wrong foot with them. This Akatsuki is more than what they seemed on the outside, he was right with their combined strength they could go against any of the great elemental nations and win. "Hey Nagato." Said man stopped in his tracks. "You told me that everyone here had a backstory what's yours."

Nagato turned around with a weak smile on his face. "Now Kushina you are thinking before you speak, but the story is not only mine. It is also Konan's." He could see that Kushina was trying to put a name to the face. "The other woman in the group, and Yahiko our dead brother's tale. And it all started with a toad."


	4. Chapter 3

**Chapter 3: Nagato's Plan**

**A/N: Hi guys, no I haven't given up on the story. Between a mixture of writer's block, laziness, school, work and procrastination, I haven't been working on the story for a while. I've also decided to stop trying to set a date for the next upload of the chapter. My goal is still one chapter a month but there will be no promises. Otherwise than that, there's another A/N at the bottom of the chapter without further ado, I present Chapter 3 of Resurrection of Uzumaki.**

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><p>"A toad?" Kushina was confused at what Nagato said, how could the story of the '<em>Second Sage of Six Paths<em>' his story began with a toad. "Say again Nagato, what do you mean a toad?"

Nagato smirked at her questioning. "Simple it started with two humans and a large toad; they found me, Konan, and Yahiko in the rain when we were children." Seeing as Kushina only started to become interested in his story after his rant he thought he could fool with her for a while. "It was a hideous toad, the face was covered in warts and it had long white hair, not to mention the repulsive shade of green it was." A small scoff of a laugh escaped his lips, remembering the suits that Jiraiya had sewn for him and his friends.

"Green toad, with long white hair and warts; for some reason that sound familiar." Kushina stopped in her tracks and started to scratch her head. "You're talking about Jiraiya aren't you?" Seeing the man chuckle guessed she was right. "When did you meet Jiraiya, he's practically been in Konoha, his whole life."

"It was at the end of the Second Shinobi war, he just lost against Hanzō the Salamander with his teammates." Seeing as Kushina still didn't move from her spot he grabbed her arm and dragged her into a nearby food stall. "If we can't talk and walk we might as well as eat and talk."

Kushina was about to protest because she wanted to get back to Naruto as quickly as she could, then her stomach started to growl. "Dattebane, I guess you're right, I haven't eaten since my resurrection." With a sheepish grin she eagerly followed behind him into the stall, which happened to be a ramen stall her favorite, after her first bowl of Shoyu Ramen Kushina started the conversation back up. "How is that possible, even after the Sannin fought against Hanzō the war was still going on? They had responsibilities as a shinobi of Konoha."

"Kushina I think we both know that Jiraiya was not known for following orders." Another brief smile escaped his face. "Anyways, he quickly took to the role of protecting over us, he wanted us to be blind to the war that was going on around us. He didn't even start to teach us how to use ninjutsu until I killed a shinobi from Iwa."

"You killed a shinobi without being trained, how old were you?" Kushina was worried; a first kill was never a pleasant thing, especially for a civilian at least shinobi are taught on how to deal with them.

"I was seven, it was days after my birthday, I will always remember the look on his face. Things like that you just don't forget. The next day was our first lesson. These eyes of mine are the only reason I am alive right now, they awoke and saved me from certain death by the hands of that shinobi." Nagato signed and stared at his hands as if they were saturated with the blood of all the people he had killed. "The night of the killing Jiraiya sat outside of our shack with me, while the others were asleep he gave me my mission."

"Your mission?" Kushina had pushed aside the third bowl of ramen that was set next to her, what could Jiraiya have told a seven year old to become the man that she saw before her today.

"Yes, as I said I was outside of the shack that we called home pouring my eyes out under the rain of the ever present sky when Jiraiya asked me what happened. I said that I saw Yahiko get hurt and I blacked out, when I came to I realized that I killed a man. I was questioning myself and if there was anything I could have done to change the outcome, after all who am I to take a life. What he told me I will always remember, he said _"No one would blame you" _I thought how would that be possible; but he reminded me if I didn't do what I did Yahiko would have died right there. He also told be about the cycle of hatred that plagues the shinobi world and how hate only begets hate. He said that it was through this cycle of hatred that we learn to be kind to one and each other." Nagato stopped talking and began to sip his tea that had cooled off. "I think that is the day I first became Pain."

"Pain?" Kushina gasped at his proclamation of _pain_, like it was a persona to take on.

"Yes, Pain is who I am, and I am Pain. I told Jiraiya while we sat there that I never wanted to ever be afraid again, and I never wanted for Konan and Yahiko to be in pain again. I knew then that it would fall on me to take all their pain and make it become mine." Nagato felt a quick sting of actual pain against his right cheek, quickly he raised his hand and placed his hand against the stinging skin. He looked to Kushina whose hand was just as red as his cheek felt. "Wha…"

"That's pain, it's not a man. You can't take on your friends or even the world's pain. It's not possible." After the stinging in her hand subsided Kushina got up and enveloped Nagato in a hug. "And this…" She said talking about the hug. "Is love, this is how you fight pain; trust me. I as a jinchūriki know this." She let him go and grabbed his hand and they started to walk back down the path towards his home.

"Love, huh. I guess your right that is one way to fight pain." Nagato took the lead as he escorted Kushina the way back. "But love is not my path, Pain is. It was because of my resolve that Jiraiya started to train us the next day, and train he did. Regardless what many may say about the man he is a brilliant teacher, he trained all three of us in different styles. Yahiko learned basic Kenjutsu and Suiton, Katon, and Fūton. He taught Konan how to use her origami as a form of weapons, now she can do anything with her chakra enhanced paper. As for me, he took the time to teach me any and everything, we found that these eyes allowed me to learn and control all basic elements and I was skilled in any art that I tried. For three long years we were happy the four of us, then out of the blue he decided to leave." Nagato raised his hand and ran them through a set of seals, and the rain started to pour down on the city once again. "This rain." Nagato said as he raised his hand and let the drops hit it. "It's a jutsu, we found out that Hanzō had his sensor division continuously use it detects any and all life forms it hits; Yahiko hated this rain." Than Nagato raised his hands into the snake, seal and the rain stopped.

"Then why use it?" Nagato looked back at the woman with a startled look, it was as if he forgot she was there and his mind took him to another place. "Why Nagato, why use this rain if this Yahiko person hated it so much?" Kushina felt that she needed to repeat her question to the man who looked alarmed.

"Why, why not. Without the rain we would never be able to protect the village. After I killed Hanzō it took a week to go through all his belongings. Surprisingly, he wrote everything down -how he controlled the village, what deals he had in the shadows, even the last time he took a shit." Nagato had said the last part for kicks, but the look on Kushina's disgruntled face told him she didn't appreciate it. "It was as if he knew his time was coming to an end, and he was preparing for someone else to take over."

"Hanzō was a wise man, it's funny that he would name the Sannin after all he was the real sage." Kushina was walking side by side with Nagato watching children run around in the brief break from all of the rain. "Nagato do you see those children?" He nodded. "Then why not let them have this sun all the time, I'm sure you can find a different detection method; why not use a barrier like that Konoha uses."

"Because Kushina, this is not Konoha." Although Nagato's voice sounded solid it also seemed like it was aching for a different truth. "Where you once lived was in one of The Great Five as we call them. Those who live in any of those five villages live life on a different scale, the pain they know is nothing to the pain the rest of the world. What happened to our homeland is an everyday occurrence, war or not. Fūinjutsu is a rare commodity and a barrier such as the one your old village possessed is not one a small village like Ame is capable of." As they walked they passed by an alley in darkness. "Just look there." Nagato directed Kushina's eyes into the shadows of the alley, after staring into the shadows they started to construct into sheets of scrap metal. The sheets of metal looked like it was some type of shanty build for the homeless. "Right there, within the reach of those children is despair. Ame was in shambles before I took control, while it is better now, we are still poverty stricken."

"So that's what this is about." Nagato have been only giving her more questions as each time spoke to him. First he told her that he wanted to rebuild their clan, then there was that _test_ she just took. She wasn't kidding when she felt that it was done to prepare for a war, and just a few moments ago she heard his story about pain. "You want to peace, right? Is that the reason why you keep the rain technique to remind you of what you want accomplished? But what's with the group?" Kushina sighed a long breath as she walked along side of Nagato, how come even this revelation brought more questions to her mind.

"Peace." The word sounded foreign coming from Nagato's mouth, as if he didn't understand it himself. "I suppose you can say that, yes peace - peace through fire is what I seek." He saw Kushina mouth the word fire silently as if she was asking him yet another question. "This world is in pain and there is nothing I can do to take all its suffering as you said earlier. So I needed to find a way to take the whole world's pain." Just for a second Kushina could see the weight that he put on his shoulders by taking up his mission. "After all, how can one stop the cycle of hatred that Jiraiya told me about when I was young? I pondered this question for a long time after Yahiko's death, and it was during this time I found my answer, Pain." Kushina looked worried at Nagato, here he was talking about becoming pain again.

"Why do you hate Jiraiya?" That question actually stopped Nagato in his tracks, here he was about to give her his answer to his master plan and she had to ask that question. "I mean you started your story, but never finished it, from what I heard you still have fond memories of him."

"It is because I must, those days were the most peaceful of our lives. But if you must know after that night where I talked to Jiraiya he baptized us within our own blood, sweat, and tears. We were already young when we started to become shinobi and our chakra systems were that of civilians, it took months, even before we learned how to summon any chakra. And like I said earlier, we trained like this for three years. After he left us, we were lost, although we were shinobi of Ame as we called ourselves we didn't know what to do. It wasn't like we went through the proper channels to become shinobi, Ame itself was in a chaotic mess after the war and there was no official village to call home. So we started our own missions. We helped the homeless around us at first; foraging for food, finding water, and helping them find basic shelters. As we got older we started to defend the nation."

"Defend the nation? What about Hanzō, you never sought him out when you were younger. Surely he would have accepted anybody that claimed to be a shinobi he needed to rebuild a country. From the things I heard in class as a child, Ame took missing-nin from other countries at the time to build their own forces up, of course it was highly frowned upon by other countries, but they did it." They stepped in synchronized silence as they walked down the cobble path streets.

"We were too young to consider that, filled with bright eyes and determination to set a new path we created Akatsuki." Kushina's eyes widened in surprise of his statement.

"Wait, you're telling me the Akatsuki isn't something that was just formed? Were all of the previous members?" By the looks of the place she just came from it would seem as if this group of his was a new thing.

"The answers to your questions are at the conclusion of my story, as I was saying we got older. Indeed, after Hanzō started to invite foreign shinobi into our land hunter-nin and ANBU from all the hidden villages started terrorizing our nation once again. Seeing this we decided to refocus our efforts, we started to forcible eject these people from our homeland. As we did more and more orphan shinobi started to join us, pretty soon we had a couple of dozen people in our organization." Nagato smiled as he remembered the faces of all his old friends that died against Hanzō. "At this point the Akatsuki was a household name in Ame, many knew our organization and the work we did in the country. And so it was that we heard that Hanzō the Salamander wanted to talk, as I recall, everyone in the base was excited when his liaison came to our base."

"You received a summons from Hanzō, just how strong was this previous group." Kushina knew Hanzō was monstrously strong his own right, for him to accept any group they must have been amazing.

"It was not a matter of strength, sure some of the people that joined the group was strong, but most were around Chūnin level. The real level of our strength came from the camaraderie we built, we didn't think of ourselves as teammates; we called each other family. So when we received Hanzō's word the family felt like the child that received respect from their father for the first time. I and Yahiko left immediately, we would have waited for Konan to come with us, but she wasn't due back from her patrol for another day." Nagato paused and sighed, he exhaled a large about of air from his lungs. "It turned out to be a trap, Hanzō felt we were becoming too big and threatened his rule on Ame, once we arrived at his location, we found Konan being held captive by his men with a kunai to her throat. Hanzō demanded that the leader of Akatsuki sign over his life in return for hers." A small chuckle escaped Nagato's lips, the sound wasn't joyful but one full of melancholy and remorse. "Yahiko like the man that he was willing gave up his life, but that wasn't enough to suffice Hanzō's greed. He demanded that my kunai was the one to end his life, I refused naturally. What happened next will haunt me until the day I die, Yahiko threw his kunai into my hand and ran into it. For a second time in my life I blacked-out."

"You blacked-out? That's it, you don't know what happened?" Kushina could see by the look in Nagato's eyes that his story wasn't over just yet. "I refuse to believe that Nagato, don't expect me to drop this either. Now that you've gotten me on this story you must finish it."

Nagato looked at the woman with regret filled eyes. "I am telling the truth when I say that I blacked-out, but there was one other witness." Nagato stopped walking and looked into the sky. "The angel of Ame was there, ask her for the conclusion."

Kushina was about to interject when a whirlwind of paper invaded their airspace. From all around them paper started to circulate, a tornado of sorts was being formed and they were in its eye. Kushina grabbed onto a kunai that popped into existence from the dimension that it was sealed into. Getting ready to go on the offensive she felt a hand on her shoulder and found that Nagato was telling her to stand down. She nodded and felt the winds start to stop. The pieces of paper started to group together and form the outline of a body in front of them. In a final gust of air the woman from before who sat with Nagato during the test appeared in front of them. "Nagato, you've been telling stories again haven't you." The new person looked towards Kushina. "Hello, I'm Konan, I'm sure you've heard about me by now." She said the last part whilst looking at Nagato. Kushina nodded at the newly identified woman. "I hope it was good things."

"Konan, must you always make such extravagant entrances." Nagato looked at her with a content smile.

Konan gave a crowd pleasing smile right back at him. "Well, you know me, the angel of Ame must be extravagant."

Nagato rubbed the back of his head, he was like a caught fish. "So I guessed you heard that then. So would you like to finish the story I started here."

Kushina openly stared at the two of them went back and forth at each other, it surprised her how childish they acted. "Fine I guess, Kushina right?" The redheaded woman nodded. "Let's see where our almighty god was, oh that's right Yahiko's death." The expression on her face changed from the playful demeanor that it once was for a serious one. "The moment Yahiko ran into Nagato's blade they both fainted. I was terrified as a sharpened kunai was against my neck and both of my closest friends looked as if they had died, tears were threatening to cascade out of my eyes when I saw movement. Nagato raised from the ground like a corpse, his body was rigid and eyes were blank. From his body, intense visible waves of charka wafted off of him, I felt the killing intent of his chakra from the plateau I was on yards away. I could feel the terror of every person around me, even Hanzō was shaken by the sudden power Nagato displayed."

Konan shook, she had paused mid story as her mind took her back to the moment she felt the power of the sage of six paths take over one of her dearest friends. Nagato walked over to her and placed a hand on her shoulder. "It's ok." Those words seemed to steel her and she was brought back to reality.

"Nagato's chakra took on the most deadly forms I have ever seen that day, a spectral dragon made purely from the energy that he was releasing descend on the Hanzō's forces. Anything that the charka construct touched died, it was unlike anything I ever saw. I often wondered is this the same fate that happened to the Iwa shinobi from when we were children, and if it was then why Yahiko never said anything about it. So there I was staring face to face with the dragon called by Nagato when it started to inhale my chakra, to my surprise it stopped, I like to think that Nagato had some control of the beast that attacked that day and knew I was an ally. The dragon killed every soul there that day, but left Hanzō alive. I and Nagato made sure that wasn't for long, after we regrouped we found and killed Hanzō." By the time Konan had finished the story the sun had set behind the horizon and produced a smelting color of orange and reds, as the colors reflected off the metals of the buildings of Ame they made the village look like it was consumed in a burring inferno. "But even then it was too late, Hanzō apparently found the rest of Akatsuki and killed them in our absent."

The three of them continued to walk in complete silence for a while. "Can you control it?" Kushina broke the silence as they passed the commons district and entered the clans' districts. "That dragon thing, can you summon it at will."

"No." Nagato's voice was soft, the pain of the memory was evident in his mind. "After Konan related to me what happened that day I tried to use the ability that she told me of, I guess it's one of the many secrets of these eyes that I have. It might be some jutsu produced like the Susanoo of the Mangekyō Sharingan. All I know is that I have yet to master it."

"How do you know of the Susanoo that's one of the Uchihas most kept secrets?" Mikoto had told Kushina of curse of hatred and some of the amazing abilities that it enabled the user to have.

"It seems that you are not the only one to know powerful Uchihas." Nagato replied with a level of clandestine in his voice.

"Nagato, what Uchiha do you know? Most, if not all alive are strictly loyal to Konoha." Kushina was feeling for fūinjutsu on her inner thigh, she was more than ready to strike if he lied to him.

"You do know that you no longer are a part of Konoha and that you don't need to go have any missing-nin they might have." Even with seeing that Kushina was reading to attack Nagato and Konan walked on without a care.

"I know, that's now the reason that I ask. The person who released the Kyūbi from me was an Uchiha, and they said that they knew another Uzumaki. At the time it made no sense to me, but now it's becoming more and more clear." After Kushina revealed that evidence Nagato took a misstep and jumped out the way of a spiked golden chain.

"He had no right to tell you!" Nagato shouted at Kushina over the debris that flew from the spot that he was once in, he saw Konan move to defend him but he raised a hand to tell her to stop. "Kushina I can explain." Quickly he transferred his arm into a shield as a black blade ran up against it.

"Well, you better start talking." She made a cross hand sign and duplicates of her circled around the both of them. "It was because of that Uchiha that I died, and had to seal the Kyūbi into my own child."

Each of the copies release golden chains from their backs, the chains linked in a circle motion creating a large circled barrier. Konan ran up against the barrier trying to force her way in. "Nagato, it's no good I can't get in."

Nagato looked to Konan outside of the barrier she looked worried. "Kushina you know you can't defeat me what's with this display?"

"This display." Said the armed woman jumping back and disengaging in her combatant. "Is for my child." Kushina twirled around in a circle with her arms wide open. "Your Uchiha friend took his birthright from him, and while I may not be able to stop you I can buy time."

"Buy time?" Nagato stood in the middle of the dome-like barrier wondering what the woman meant.

"Call it payback if you wish, while a may not be able to do you tons of harm I can destroy your village." As if on cue one of Kushina's copies released a long flame from her mouth down an empty street charring the ground.

Nagato's eyes went a shade darker as he disappeared from his spot to the one in front of the clone that released the Katon. A black rod appeared in his hand that took the shape of a spear, he charged the weapon into the clone making her scream. Instead of disappearing like a normal shadow clone on taking damage its eyes changed into the rippled pattern of the Rinnegan. "Try that again and I will erase you." The possessed clone broke her chains from the dome and redirected the sharp tips to the others copies formed, the chains pierced each of the clones making them pop out of existence; when the final one popped the possessed one also disappeared.

Kushina swallowed a hard lump of saliva, this was the power of Sage of Six Paths. Not only was he able to talk over one of her clones, he used it to destroy the rest of them; and he did it in only one move. "You said you could explain." At first her voice wavered, but she quickly steeled it in an act of false bravado. She knew that there was nothing she could do to slow him down now, was there that big of a difference in their levels?

Nagato rolled his neck popping a few air pockets between his joints, it was mostly for show. "Open your ears and I'll explain the one who calls himself Uchiha Madara." Kushina stiffen at the name of Madara when he said it, at least he didn't have to explain that to her. "Of course he isn't the real Madara, he knows we know that, but still to be bold enough to use that name he is no weak adversary. The Uchiha came to us during the first version of Akatsuki his ideals were dangerous and Yahiko immediately turned him away. At the time the goal was to fight for Ame and all its glory, protecting it's inhabits from any sort of harm and find a way to break the cycle of hatred Jiraiya taught us about. Yahiko died right before we were able to unite Ame under one banner, but after we got control of Ame I and Konan were lost. Yahiko was the one with all the plans we didn't know how to break this cycle. That's when the Uchiha came back, he said he had a way to break the cycle - through pain. He told us about the Gedo Mazo and its ability to hold the bijū."

"The bijū." Kushina interjected him, what would they need the tailed beast for they were monsters of pure evil.

Nagato nodded his head. "Yes the bijū, with them, we will able to put fear in the hearts of every village into behaving, because Gedo Mazo is a weapon able to release the energy of the bijū to destroy a village in a single go. With this kind of power we will be able to control the flow of war making entire Lands bow at our feet. So you ask what is the real objective of Akatsuki, this is the group's mission - peace through power. No longer will the villages hate each other they will concentrate all their hatred onto Ame and we will be there to protect it."

Kushina listened in complete silence, as Nagato spoke, she kept balling her fist into her hand until blood was drawn. "Where is the Uchiha now? and why, why attack Konoha like he did?"

"I don't know where he is, he comes and goes when he pleases; mostly goes. The last I heard of him was when he came to tell me that the Kyūbi jinchūriki was giving birth, he said that that was the time that the seal was the weakest and he was going to strike. The only other thing he told me was that the jinchūriki was an Uzumaki, I deiced on my own accord to bring you here. I wasn't lying when I said I wanted to rebuild the Uzumaki Clan, you just happen to also be a strong shinobi and I couldn't deny the benefit of having you in the Akatsuki." Kushina scoffed at that, some benefit she would be he destroyed her defenses in seconds. "As for why he attacked Konoha like he did, I can only imagine, after all he is an Uchiha; Konoha should be his home village you should know better his reasons than I." After he finished speaking, he walked over to the violet haired woman and began walking back down the path towards his home. "Are you coming?"

"Nagato." Blood was still dripping from Kushina's balled fist. "What of Naruto? He has a bijū inside of him." Her voice was quiet, barely above a whisper, she was stuck at two cross roads on one hand was Naruto. She would do anything for him, he was her precious baby boy and wouldn't let anyone touch a hair on his head, and extracting a bijū would kill him. On the other hand was Nagato, the Sage of Six Paths. She knew that she stood no chance fighting him, but she would rather die trying that just stand by and let him kill her child.

"I won't kill him if that's what you're wondering." Nagato didn't look back at the woman, instead he decided to continue to walk down the path, not choosing to wait to see how Kushina would react. "You can thank your husband for that."

* * *

><p><strong>AN: Another chapter down :) Left the chapter will a cliffhanger, I think I like to keep people in suspense –even though most people can probably guess why Kushina should thank Minato. The next chapter will be the meeting with the Kyūbi for those of you that remember the first version of this story. Also, we will probably hear about some of the others reasons for being in the Akatsuki. Until next time stay frosty**


	5. Chapter 4

**A/N: Hey guys, to all of you that are still reading this fic welcome back, what it's been about three months… Sorry about that, well I have a few things to say than its back to the story, fist off I wanted to addressed the issue that some people think that this is a bashing fic on Minato. While he may not be portrayed in the best of lights right now this is no away a Minato bashing fic. Kushina hates Minato right now because he betrayed her trust in him in the village. Don't worry his character will be redeemed in much later chapters. **

**Some jutsu represented in the chapter was used from Narutofanon wikia, these jutsu do not belong to Drunkenbunny and all creation of these jutsu goes to their rightful owners. **

**Now I present another chapter of Resurrection of Uzumaki. **

**Chapter Four: We have a meeting with a Demon to attend. **

"I won't kill him if that's what you're wondering." Nagato didn't look back at the woman, instead he decided to continue to walk down the path, not choosing to wait to see how Kushina would react. "You can thank your husband for that."

"Minato." The name came out of her mouth in a whisper, it was like a dirty secret that felt sour on her tongue; yes that was right, he was once the love of her life. She remembers the cool touch of his rough hands that ran up her skin on a hot summer's night, which sent shivers down her spine and lust filled eyes fell on her. No, she couldn't think of that, Naruto was now the only man in her life. The moment he was born, she knew that she would have to protect him. Kushina firmed her voice. "Minato cursed my child, he is no husband of mine."

"Whatever truth you must tell yourself matters not to me. I only said that to point out the child's seal. It is only eight trigrams, while I may not know much about seals I do know that is not strong enough to seal the entirety of the Kyūbi." Nagato had to stop his stride as Kushina stood still in the same place as they had their miniature scrimmage. "You of all people should know that this world cannot be cured, knowing that your child will not be in the way of my wrath, what is your decision."

Kushina didn't know what to think, at first she believed that Nagato's goal was a noble and just one. But this, the killing of people just so that he can control the Bijū, infuriated her, she just didn't know what to do. "Nagato, I'm assuming that you want me to answer this question now right?" The purple eyed man stared straight into her soul, that second she knew the answer was yes. "You know that I have nowhere else to go?" Again he gave her a strong stare. "You've given me little choice." Kushina fell silent, she stood in the mist of the wind blowing around her. "This ultimatum that you've given me is not easy. On one hand, I could be cast out of your village with no place to go, with a new born child. Of course I could try to go back to Konoha, but it would be rather hard to explain my resurrection to them; then there is also the fact that I could never trust them again. Then, on the other hand, I stay, you and I will resurrect our demolished clan and in return for its revival I must assist you with killing people like me. Or to be more precise, who used to be like me, and are now like my child." The woman let loose a long, heavy sigh. "Fine, you have _persuaded _me into staying. But I do have one question, this _plan, _how will it bring peace, Nagato? After all, all I see is a scheme, and this scheme is ruling the world by fear, and fear is not the same as peace."

With the new question being thought the trio continued to walk down the road until sun finally melted into the earth releasing a thousand of small lights into the sky blanketing the village in a sea of darkness.

"Is that true, Kushina?" Nagato spoke up finally thinking of his answer. "Yes, they may fear me and they may even fear each other, but isn't it because of fear that drives people into peace, how do you believe that the war ended four years ago?" As they walk down the stone paths of Ame they came upon a large black gate with a large white swirl, locking it shut, the Uzumaki seal.

Briefly Kushina's heart fluttered looking at the place that would be her new home. "Like all other wars it was ended by an armistice treaty. You should know that better than anyone, most of the war was fought in Ame." Kushina responded in a meek voice, she let her fingers touch the black metal that separated her from her child. The gate separated its doors, giving them entrance to the Uzumaki compound.

"Yes, exactly like every other war, it was ended by an armistice treaty, but what is armistice?" Nagato waited for a response from Kushina, but it seemed that she couldn't think of an answer for him. "You see, it's just a cease fire agreement, there is no promise of peace from armistice. Hurt, pain, death, genocide, they are all still a constant threat – the world holds their breath waiting to see the results. Now you may wonder if that is the truth, then why does it last for so long." A small smile crept onto Nagato's face. "Fear, it is because of fear; after finally getting a respite from all the death why would anybody want to go back to it. A brief interlude of peace is worth more than the war, after all, who even remembers why it started. It is because of this fear that peace is made, and so fear is the cause of peace in this world of ours." Nagato walked past Kushina, who stood at the threshold of the compound, towards the largest building in the moderate sized compound.

"Fear, huh? I guess you are right, fear does create peace, normally I would have just said no. Yet, I caved in, the fear of becoming an Rōnin was too great and I choose the easier path for my Naruto. But know this Nagato Uzumaki I will never kill a jinchūriki, and it's not because of fear. It's because I was one of them before. It will be wise for you to remember that." Kushina picked up her pace as she followed behind the man.

"Good now we have other things to discuss - your living arrangements. Where exactly are you planning on staying?" A smirk landed on Nagato's face as he saw Kushina's mouth fall open, she looked all around her then back at Nagato.

"Um?" Kushina cleared out her throat. "Living?" Her voice cracked, still strained from the sound of disbelieve that escaped her mouth. "Well about that, dattebane, do ya want to be roomies until I get my barrings?"

Konan raised her hand up and covered her mouth, stifling a laugh. "You're a bold one Kushina-chan to move in with a man on the first night, and you." She said, giving a sideways glance to Nagato. "You know how to pick them don't you."

Nagato stared blankly back at Kushina. "You want to live with me? My, my Kushina I don't know if I could give up my glamourous bachelor lifestyle." A smirk slid onto his face. "I don't think I can just give it up like that, after all there are all of these empty lots that need to be filled."

Kushina's eyes started to water as she felt a feeling of belonging that she hadn't felt since she left Uzushio as a child. "You idiots…" Kushina exclaimed at the two people walking with her. "…why did you let me believe I was going to be homeless, dattebane?"

Smiles broke throughout the group as the view of the Uzumaki compound was first studied by Kushina, and she didn't know if was because of the multitude of lights that twinkled through the night sky but the compound looked like it was bathed in moonlight. And even though it was night she could still tell the detail that was put into the creation of the compound – from the earth the metal structures rose, unlike any other in the village, the foundation of the land was drenched by a red so deep that it could be confused with blood but it still burned with a passion of fire. The walls were burned black by the fires it stood on, which all laid under a golden roof that shone as bright as the sky. And that was only the first house in the compound. "Kushina Uzumaki, welcome to your new home." Nagato raised a finger and pointed towards a building that seemed to be in the middle of the compound. "That is my home, Naruto is there right now." He spread out his arms to the rest of the compound. "Any other place is yours for the picking."

Tears started to flow freely from Kushina's eyes now, she had longed for a place that connected her to her family roots, and sure Konoha had the Mask Storage Temple, but it wasn't a place she could stay and live – just a tribute to a forgotten Clan. But this – this would be home for her.

Nagato reached out and placed a gentle hand on Kushina's shoulder. "Come on lets go see your son." Kushina nodded, she had been waiting for this moment all day. Her child, Naruto, she would be the best parent the boy could ever wish for.

Suddenly Kushina stopped her stride towards the clan head house. "Wait, what if he doesn't recognize me?" She received doubtful looks from her party. "I know how it sounds, but still… Naru-chan, who by the way was not born more than a three days ago has barely seen me."

"Kushina." The mention woman looked up and saw that Konan was addressing her. "That child has been tucked in your stomach for nine months…"

"Ten." Konan paused and looked at Kushina who interrupted her. "It was ten months."

"Fine, ten months; the child was in your stomach for ten months. Nothing could be done in three days for that child to forget you that quickly" Konan gave her a small but reassuring smile.

"Plus Kushina." This time it was Nagato's voice that spoke up. "You do realize that he is still a new born baby right? I highly doubt he even recognize himself. Don't worry, you have the rest of your life to make it up to him."

Kushina's demeanor changed, her back straightened and a grin crept onto her face. "Yeah, you're right, I have the rest of my life to make him my little Ōji*." The trio continued onwards towards Nagato's home, but suddenly Kushina fell back into a gloomily mode. "Yeah, he'll be the Ōji of nothing, and we don't even have a place to live here. And it's not like I can just go on missions to raise money, who would watch him?" A small personal rain cloud appeared over Kushina's head, she dipped her head into herself. "I mean I know that you said that I could choose any home to stay at, but are any of them furnished. Are any equipped to handle a newborn?"

Sympathy wasn't a word that Konan used often, after all she knew too well how rough life could be; the cruel curves that could be thrown your way. But this, a mother struggling with their child, it was so similar to her own upbringing. Before her mother died of hunger in the war, it was just the two of them, she was told her father was drafted by Ame to defend her people. There was days her mother went without any food, she would always have something, although, even if it was just one cracker. "Any time you need someone to watch Naruto I'll do it, after all we are now sisters in arms. What kind of person would I be if I didn't watch my nephew?" Kushina looked at her with shimmering eyes.

Nagato really felt sorry for the woman, at first he just wanted to tell her not to be stupid and realize that she would just live with him until she could furnish her own home. But he realized that she had an adamant reason to be worried, she was in a foreign village that she knew nothing about and on top of that there was no one she could rely on. Sure, they were related, but they barely knew each other. On top of all that, she was broke and was with a newborn child. She was truly a struggling single mother in this world of _pain_. "Don't forget about me, what type of uncle would I be if I let the boy sleep on the floor. You can stay with me until you are ready to leave. My home is fully furnished and could easily be adapted for a baby."

Every word the two of them spoke to Kushina were needles piercing her skin, but instead of inducing pain they released pressure like an acupuncturist. "Thank you both. You don't know how much this means to me." Kushina wiped away a stray tear that fell down her face.

Kushina burst into the temporary nursery Nagato had made for Naruto. A graying haired woman about 5'6" stood up from a rocking chair next to a crib. "Lord Nagato, I see that you are back; and mistress it is good to see that you are in good health. When the Lord asked me to watch a babe I asked about its mother, he told me that you might not have survived the birth." Kushina froze mid stride upon seeing the woman, for some reason it surprised her to see someone watching Naruto. Taking in her full appearance, Kushina could tell that she was reaching the last years of her life, there were many creases forming at the corner of her lips from the smiles she expanded in her lifetime. They were cracked from the dry air of the room, but the woman seemed not to care about keeping them moist.

"Yes, Nana, I am back thank you for watching over Naruto for me." Nagato smiled at the elder woman in the room, there seemed to be some type of back story between the two of them.

"Naruto, so that's the little tyke's name." The woman, Nana, leant over the edge of the crib and reached her hands inside. When her hands came out Naruto cuddled into her embrace. "He's a calm one." She whispered to the trio that entered the room. "Sleep most of the time you were away." Nana walked towards Kushina and handed him to her. "Take care of that child, he is a precious one."

Kushina nodded haphazardly as a river of tears started to fall down her face, it was the first time she could hold her baby without worrying about him. "Are you ok?" Konan asked her in a gentle voice. "Naruto is perfectly safe and will continue to be." Kushina looked up from Naruto's sleeping face to see Konan talking to her, she could also see Nana leaving the room discreetly.

_Ok?_ How was she supposed to be ok, she just realized that again how much she had failed Naruto. Still only days old and just this morning when she left him, rushing out not even making sure someone would watch and protect him. That's when she promised to herself to never be so foolish again. She would protect her baby. She covered Naruto up in a thick wool blanket, placed him back into the cradle, and gave him a soft kiss on the forehead. "Nagato." Her voice hardened, in exact opposition of the kiss she placed on Naruto's head.

Nagato looked at her with a curious gaze, he had figured that she would want to spend time with her child so he was about to leave. "Don't worry about Nana, she's the village matron of the orphanage; she would have taken care of the boy like any of the other children that she watches." After all, the only thing he figured she would have a problem with was the mysterious woman that was watching over her son.

Kushina shook her head at the man. "It isn't about the woman, you swear to me that Naruto is of no danger from your plans right?" Nagato nodded his head at Kushina. "So you would not mind if I proved it?"

"Be my guest, look at the seal for yourself. I have no doubt that you are more versed in the subjects of fūinjutsu, but besides the seal I have no proof." Kushina nodded channeled chakra to her hand. The energy was visual, blue steam wafted off of her hand in waves. "What are you doing?" The curiosity was evident in Nagato's voice, even Konan looked on with interest.

"I'm going to test Naruto's seal." Kushina's hand crept back into the crib, it hovered over the baby for a second while the woman steeled her nerves. "You're right. There are only eight trigrams, with Minato's seal level, he would only have been able to hold one tail worth of strength per every two trigrams." Kushina's hand was removed from the crib and the chakra disappeared from view.

"That's only four tails, what about the other five." Konan voiced her opinion.

"There's more, in the middle of Naruto's stomach, there's a swirl type seal." Kushina put a hand to her chin as if she was in deep thought. "That bastard, he's ruined any chance of Naruto becoming a shinobi unless we turn him into a Guy. It's only a half of tail… oh, he's brilliant, why didn't I ever think of that. Minato our son will never run out of charka now, I will have to work on his control as soon as he can start to walk but this will only help him." Kushina was mumbling to herself in an incomprehensible dribble.

Konan made a small coughing sound and Kushina looked at them, surprised by their presence, did she forget they were there. "Do you mind telling us what you found?"

"Oh, of course. Come over here and I'll tell you." Nagato and Konan walked over to Kushina and her baby. Looking over the crib they could see that Naruto's stomach was exposed showing the seal that was on it. "Do you see the kanji spreading out around the swirl here?" The two nodded. "Well each line represents one trigram, being that there are eight of them means its eight trigrams. The work is really not that shabby, Minato was a seal master. His skills are still nowhere the level mine are that's why he couldn't seal the whole Kyūbi into Naruto. If he had tried to seal the whole fox at his level the fox's chakra would have overloaded Naruto's chakra pathways, making him unable to use any chakra." Kushina paused and looked up to see if they were following her. "Now here comes the cool part. Do you see this swirl in the middle, normally people would just think that it's just part of the eight trigrams. It might have even fooled me if I didn't already know this seal. See this seal is an Uzumaki design, it was meant to store large amounts of chakra for each trigram. So that raises the question, what is this swirl?"

"Is it the other five tails?" Nagato spoke up, his voice quivered a little as he spoke. Was he wrong, did the baby have the whole fox in him? He would be sorry to lose Kushina, she would have been an excellent addition to the Akatsuki. If Naruto held the whole fox he would have to kill the baby and take the fox's chakra, of course Kushina wouldn't agree to that and he would also have to kill her. A shame indeed.

"No." Kushina shook her head. "That would be impossible, all that energy in one seal. Don't make me laugh Nagato." The man developed a scowl at her words, maybe, he thought, he should kill her anyways. "This swirl is very peculiar, like the trigrams it only holds half of tails worth of chakra. Here comes the peculiar part, though, instead of holding the chakra it integrates it into Naruto's own chakra pathways. Seeing as the Kyūbi is a being made up of entirely chakra that middle seal will keep refilling, giving Naruto unlimited chakra."

"That's amazing, your child will never have to worry about chakra exhaustion. And his reserves, they will be the largest I've ever seen." Konan was speaking with an air of wonder in her voice. "They would be even larger than yours Nagato. You're right Kushina his control will be terrible."

"I agree, I've always thought that I had large reserves but this, the boy will be a force to recon with. This does also raise the question where is the other half of the Kyūbi, you said that Naruto holds four and half worth of tails of the beast in him. I wonder what exactly your husband did with the other half of it." Kushina had cringed a little once she heard Nagato mention Minato as her husband.

Kushina gave them a small smirk. "You really don't know any of the Uzumaki skills do you Nagato?" The man shook his head, the woman's smirk widened into a full blown smile. "You think that your chakra reserves are special." Kushina was looking at Nagato as she spoke, he nodded at her in return. "Well watch this." Kushina fingers slipped into a dragon seal. **Uzumaki Style: Infinite Ink**

The room they were in filled with ink, no, not ink, seals. The room was coated from ceiling to floor in seals all connecting. They looked like they were traveling towards the baby's crib. Nagato gasped. "What's this?' Looking down onto the floor Nagato saw a seal pattern circle around him, in fact there was also one around Kushina and Konan.

Kushina quirked an eyebrow at the man. "I'm an Uzumaki certified seal master, this is child's play. We Uzumaki are born with abnormally large chakra pathways, most child games in Uzushio are centered on chakra control. You see, the skill I just used needs lots of chakra. Normally it should be a C class jutsu, but with our reserves it takes as much energy for me to perform as a shunshin would to Konan here."

"While this is a lovely display of skill Kushina, I do have to ask why you inked up your child's room." Nagato spoke as he stood rigidly still afraid to get any ink on his clothing.

Kushina tilled her head at Nagato. "Can't you read the seals?" Her voice held confusion as she looked at Nagato.

"I can but not just that fast, the room is littered in seals. I told you I wasn't that well versed in the art of fūinjutsu." Nagato expelled a huff of air in frustration.

"Dattebane!" Kushina had a broad grin on her face. "I get to teach the Second Sage all about fūinjutsu." She seemed like she was having fun with his ignorance; she was moved around the ink laden floor cheerily as she untangled a hidden brush in a lock of her hair. Her path was straight to Naruto.

"Hey, I know how to make Explosive Tags." Kushina covered her mouth as she began to laugh again.

After a brief interlude of laughter from Kushina and irritation from Nagato, Kushina started to continue. "You have much to learn, you should have at least learn how to create those back in Uzushiogakure before the war even started. Speaking of Uzushiogakure, I don't remember any Nagato, where were you?"

Nagato sighed and shook his head. "My father and all his infinite wisdom choose to leave Uzushiogakure before I was born, with my mother, they settled down here in Ame and lived peacefully for a while. I was never trained in shinobi arts because he said that we would just be simple folk. At the start of the war one day a group of Konoha ninja broke in looking for food, they killed my parents I blacked out after that."

Kushina had a hand raised over her face in disgust, it was horrible that any Konoha ninja would just kill innocent civilians. "Well, you have me now, I will have you become an expert in our arts in no time. Here's your first lesson, **Uzumaki Style: Infinite Ink**. This a jutsu that converts your chakra into ink, you can direct the ink onto any object. If you are skilled in it you can make kanji appear on any surface, like I did."

"This is all fantastic Kushina, but I have yet to see the reason for all of this… ink." Konan was silent the whole time Kushina explained everything to Nagato.

"Well, don't you both want to figure out what happened to the other half of the Kyūbi?" She received nods from the both of them. "This is how we find out easily. We ask the Kyūbi itself."

Both Nagato and Konan were silent, they thought she was joking. Asking the demon itself, right that had to be a joke. Right? "Excuse me Kushina I think that we miss heard you." Konan was the first of the duo to speak up.

"No, you heard me right, we will go and see the Kyūbi itself and see what's up with it." Kushina cut her arm and let blood flow onto her child's stomach. "I just have to alter the seal on Naruto's stomach a little, then we can go, are you ready?" Nagato nodded his head, Konan looked terrified, and Kushina just smiled as she started to work on the seal on Naruto. She looked at the seal on Naruto and cringed at how complex the seal was. "_Minato was a good seal master, I have to create a sixteen trigram seal to go into this_." Sweat on her brow was visible, she was in deep contraction. "**Sixteen Trigram seeing into the demon.**"

Nagato was fascinated by what the woman was doing, the ink jumped off of the walls and every surface that it originally clung to. The blobs started to fly around the room and Kushina was its conductor, her will was its whim, she looked beautiful but deadly. Suddenly all the ink in the room light up and the room was covered in a bright light. He had to close his eyes for the fear of going blind, when he opened them again all he saw was whiteness. "Kushina what is this." While Nagato was still standing, he noticed he was no longer in a room, he was… nowhere that was his best guess. All around him was empty space full of white nothingness. He looked to his right and saw Konan was on the floor, apparently she landed on her butt. She looked just as confused as he felt, Nagato looked around for their other companion but couldn't find her. Suddenly, in the distance he could see a figure running up to them.

When Kushina caught up to them, her brow was covered in perspiration. "It's good that you both were close by, I wouldn't won't the two of you to land too far away. How far did you two have to travel to meet up, wouldn't have wanted the two of you to be lost in Naruto's mind?"

"Travel?" Konan questioned Kushina. "We landed right next to each other, where were you?"

"About a mile back that way, there's a reason only Yamanaka should mess with matters of the mind. It's very tricky, you're both lucky that you were so close to each other." Kushina bent over and placed her hands on her knees, to catch her breath.

Nagato was nodding his head. "Yes, yes, that is good because… did you just say that we were in your infant son's mind?"

Kushina gave him a dumfounded look. "How else would we ask the giant fur ball besides going into Naurto's mind? What did you think I was doing?"

The eyes popped out of Nagato's head, he had to pick them up and place them back in. "Wait, we are actually in your son's mind? You're serious about speaking to the Kyūbi no Yōko, is that wise, can it even be reasoned with?" Kushina just gave him a duh look. "Ok, is this something normal for you?"

"Is this the power of fūinjutsu?" Konan asked in an awe. "No wonder your clan was massacred."

Kushina stood up and looked around their surroundings. "Of course, this is normal for me, I told you it would be wise to remember that I was a jinchūriki." Kushina shifted her gaze from Nagato to Konan. "Yes, fūinjutsu is amazing isn't it? Once the Tsuchikage gets wind of the Uzumaki clan reforming do doubt that he will conspire to destroy us once again." Nagato and Konan shared a glance and laughed at a shared secreted between the two of them. "What's so funny, it was only with the combined forces of Iwagakure, Kirigakure, and multiple smaller villages was Uzu taken down."

"Well the Tsuchikage in his senility have outsourced many of his village's extremely deadly jobs to us the Akatsuki, it's unlikely that he will try something unless his forces grow over night. Minato did recently reduce his forces. As for Kiri, their Kage have really lost his mind, a blood war against kekkei genkai users, the world is going mad, killing the ones that hold all the power." Nagato had stopped laughing and explained the irony of the situation that they now found themselves in. "I don't believe that we will be having any problems in the foreseeable future with the clan."

"Well, that's something at less. Anyways, we should only be worrying about one problem at a time; now is the problem of Naru-chan, tomorrow can be our enemies." Konan plainly stated. "So where exactly are we Kushina, because the last I remember was being in the nursery?"

"We are in Naru-chan's Mindscape, it's empty right now because he has nothing to form what it should look like. A jinchūrikis Mindscape is created based on their emotions, mine was the house I grew up in, and the Kyūbi was in the basement of my mind, therefore he was in the basement of my old home. That is why it is crucial that we do not mess with his mind while we are here, you got that?" Both of the guest agreed with her. "Good, we will find the Kyūbi with this." She pulled out a small toy whistle shaped like the Kyūbi.

"Didn't you just say that we shouldn't mess around with Naruto's mind where did that come from?" Nagato asked in a cool voice, he didn't want to be the one to mess with the mind of an infant.

"This." Kushina said, pointing to the small object in her hands. "Is a tracking whistle, I created it into the seals so we can find the Kyūbi in Naruto's mind without harming him. At most, he will feel a tickle trust me, I thought of everything already. Soon enough Nagato, you will see the miracle that is fūinjutsu, I do feel sorry that you never learned the craft. Soon enough, you will learn how to do all of this and much more if thing works out for you." She gave a wink to him at the end, although it seemed to hide a more sinister purpose. She grabbed onto the whistle and blow into it with all of her breath. The low pitch sound vibrated all around them, after a while of waiting a low yelling of a growl could be heard coming from their right. She turned and started to march away from their troop. "Come on, it's this way."

Over the course of the next hour they stopped and blew the whistle about a half dozen times. As they continued down their path, they notice that the air around them started to get colder, and the brightness of space seemed to dim down too. Now, after about an hour of searching they found a single dark hall springing up from the empty abyss. "I thought you said that Mindscapes were created on emotions, how is this built?" Konan spoke up at seeing the black abyss.

Kushina shook her head, she was speechless. She didn't know why it was like this, it was even an anomaly to her. "Come on, this is where the Kyūbi must be." As they walked in the hall the temperature drop about another twenty degrees. "I can tell we're getting closer I can feel his presence."

After another ten minutes of walking they reached an open valley in the middle of the night. "Kushina, where are we? This is definitely not the mind of an infant baby. He has yet to even see any of this to recreate it." Nagato's body shifted stiffly readying himself for something.

Kushina gulped. "I think we are in the mind of the Kyūbi, if I'm correct that hallway was a passage between Naruto's mind and its mind." In the distance the brush was moving as something was coming through it. "RUN!" Now that they were in the Kyūbi's mind, she didn't know what it could do, and that was dangerous.

They dashed back to the hall they came from, and they could feel the malevolent presence creeping up on them. They were about to reach the hall when Kushina felt fur wrap around her foot and pull her. Nagato heard her screams, he looked back and she was nowhere to be seen. He and Konan stood back to back trying to assess their situation. Minutes passed by in complete silence, suddenly the earth shook and he saw a giant explosion in the distance. "KUSHINA!" He yelled her name and his voice strained, and they dashed off to see if there was anything that could be done to help.

Konan reached the clearing first, she froze when she saw what was transpiring. No wonder Kushina was chosen to carry the beast before. She was standing in the middle of the field eyeing the great beast, it was smaller than it was when she saw it released in Konoha. Inside of Kushina's hand was a chain-linked weapon covered in a yellow aura. "Konan, about time you got here, I could use some help to subdue it." The woman had somehow wrapped the chain around all four of the Bijū's feet, making it kiss the ground. In her distraction Konan didn't notice that the Kyūbi sunk one of its tails into the ground, and it appeared behind her. With the force of a tornado it knocked into her, and she flew towards Kushina. Before crashing wings grew from her back and she flew into the sky away from the range of the tail.

Nagato burst into the clearing shortly after Konan was hit. **"Kushina-chan did you bring new toys for me to play with?"** The beast teeth were showing, gave a wide grin showing sharpen canine teeth shown in the dark sky.

A tick mark appeared on Kushina's head. "Kyūbi all I came here for was for you to answer a question. We can either do this the hard way or the easy way." The beast let out a growl that pushed them back a couple of feet, the chains around its feet broke and it stood up on all four legs. "Hard way it is. Nagato, you're supposed to be the Sage reincarnated or something right." The man looked and agreed speechlessly, after all he was standing toe to toe with a Bijū. "I need you to distract it so I can stop it."

Shaken out of his stupor Nagato nodded his head. He was ashamed of himself that he acted so weak, dammit, he was the _reincarnation_ of the Sage of Six Paths, as Kushina pointed out, the Kyūbi should be afraid of him. Out of his arm a long black rod came out. The end had a sharp point he aimed at the monster and let it fly.

The Kyūbi saw the rod fly towards him, and he let out a breath to stop it in its tracks. He knew that Kushina would try to subdue him with those damned chains of hers, so he knew he had to act fast. Fanning his tails out as he was going to summon a tornado, when he felt that the earth under his feet was trembling. Looking down at the earth he saw the female human that Kushina brought with her. She has a thin sheet of paper under one of his paws, it was lifting him into the sky. With fury in his heart he jumps to the skies blocking out the moon, gathering chakra in his mouth, he let out a **bijūdama, **the purple swollen ball flew towards the humans.

Nagato saw the massive ball flying towards them and only guessed trouble, so he jumped into the sky and put his hands out in front of it. "**Blocking Technique Absorption Seal**" Nagato yelled as the bomb hit his hands. The bomb was absorbed into Nagato's body, but with a prize. From his wrists to his shoulders, the fabric was torn off and his hands were bloody and bruised, the scaring continued up his hands and led onto his torso. He landed on the ground only to see the Kyūbi charging at him.

Konan stepped in front of him and cracked her knuckles, she placed her hands into Dog seal and channeled chakra to her body. "**Paper Spikes**" Giant spikes of paper rose from the ground and transformed the land in front of them into a spike-field.

"**Human, do you think paper will stop me, the greatest of all bijū." **The Kyūbi yelled at them as he charged straight into the paper, to its surprise the pierced his skin stopping him from continuing. Looking pissed the Kyūbi roared creating a shock wave and tearing the paper to shreds. **"Your paper, it's laced in chakra. Interesting." **

"Thank you Konan." Nagato looked better the charka he absorbed from the **bijūdama** assimilated into his system. "I'll take it from here." Biting his thumb Nagato and let the blood flow freely onto the ground. Wiping his hands upward, they flew threw more seals, letting stray droplets of blood fly around him, he slammed his hands onto the ground. Two large screens of smoke appeared out of the air, from the smoke two large birds appeared one was made of electricity and the other was made of fire. "Amaterasu twins, I need your help, we need to subdue the Kyūbi."

"**Dame straight you need our help, I want a fifty thousand fish offering first." **The hawk like bird that radiated lighting spoke up to Nagato.

"**Don't mind my younger brother Nagato-san we will help you."** The other more elegant bird that resembled a raven with fire wisping around it spoke.

Nagato smirked. "Ai, you are, the more reasonable one."

"**Hmph, what did you expect I am the older one." **The Phoenix relayed with a smirk.

"**Only by like a decade, oneechan." **The Thunderbird quirked behind her.

Nagato sweat dropped they had no sense of time, did they really believe a decade of separation made them twins. Just then the Kyūbi spoke up. **"Yum, what delicious treats you brought me, I haven't had chicken in a millennium." **

Nagato shook his head, wondering if all immortals were like this. "Come on twins lets go." The birds let loose a loud chirping sounds and charged into one and other, their collision created a large explosion of fire and lighting. From the destruction they transform into a giant bird that skin was of molten lave and whips of lighting zoomed around it. Nagato leaped on top of the combined bird and created a long black spear in his hand. The bird flew right into the Kyūbi creating the earth to shake from the force that it created.

The Kyūbi soared into a mangrove of trees near a river. "**Chickens shouldn't fly, don't make me angry bird.**" As the Kyūbi stood on its legs, it sunk all nine tails into the ground. The tails rose like pillars forming from the ground around the Amaterasu twins, the bird tried to maneuver out of the tails was pierced by one of the tails. Forcing the two birds to return to their original form.

In rage from the attack on it the Thunderbird, Aki sent a stream of lighting at the fox. Getting shocked made the fox fly back into the ground and landing on its back. **"Oneechan, did you see that." **The hawk like bird happily chirped.

Ai saw tails creep up from behind her brother gearing to striking him, she flapped her wings creating a forest of fire heading towards the fox. She was too late the tails reach the Thunderbird and smash straight in the heart causing it to dispel. In desperation the Phoenix rushed at the Kyūbi only for it to also be attacked from the behind by the Kyūbi's paws, crushing its chest, dispelling it too. **"Little human that was quite the work out, thanks." **The fox said with a wicked sneer.

Nagato was sad that both of his summoning were just taken out that quickly by the fox, but they did buy Kushina a lot a time, he just hoped it was enough. "Kushina are you ready?" He looked back at the Bijū to see if it was still on its back, only to see a tornado of paper surrounding it. Konan looked like she was on the verge of chakra exhaustion. "KUSHINA!" He yelled, did she say she planned for everything, he really hope that Konan dying of chakra exhaustion was part of the plan.

"I heard you, stand back." The red headed woman yelled back at the pair of them, she in her bought time she had summoned fourteen Torii gates and a surplus of her chains. Nagato and Konan both nodded and **shunshin** behind her. The tornado of paper and wind that had trapped the Kyūbi now died out. The Kyūbi stood and looked at Kushina in fear, it was a weird sight, not even after the fight he had with it did the beast show any fear but now was different.

The Kyūbi knew what was coming, he had been so caught up in the other fight and forgot about Kushina, and now she was going to bind him again. Out of desperation the he let out, multiple small **bijūdama** hoping it would stop here. The bombs only reflected off the chains and exploded elsewhere. The chains stared to wrap around the fox, binding it in its tracks. Two long chains wrapped around the moon and pulled the Kyūbi into it, then the Torii** gates started to land on each one of his nine tails, four limbs, and neck. "Now are you ready to answer my questions." Kushina had a triumphant look on her face.

**Marked (*) explanation:**

*** Ōji-prince**

**** Tradition Japanese Gates**

**A/N: I really like the ideal of fūinjutsu in cannon, but sadly it isn't used a lot. So I plan on having a lot of fūin in my stories. **


	6. Chapter 5

**A/N:**

**Disclaimer: I may not own Naruto but I do own this laptop I'm writing on. So there Masashi Kishimoto you can take away my legal ownership but you can't have my crappy laptop. **

**Speaking of said crappy laptop you can blame it for me not being able to post for the last couple of months, basically the complete last couple of columns of my keyboard went out on my laptop, and it turns out that I use those buttons…a lot when I type. I was finnaly able to buy a new laptop so I can get back to typing my story. So without any further delay here's the new chapter.**

**Chapter Five: Conversations with a fox.**

"**Humans." **The deep voice of the Kyūbi no Kistsue roared from his captured position. **"All of you are the same, demanding, ungrateful, arrogant, and you smell. Your species call us Demons when it's you that are the true monsters. You come in here, to my space, and think that everything is supposed to be handed to you, and if you don't get your way you resort to violence." **The Kyūbi was pissed, once again he was caught by the redheaded devil that sought to control his power.** "When I was ripped from you." **His eyes narrowed onto Kushina. **"I prayed that you would die a painful death." **

"Save it Fur-ball this isn't a pleasant meeting for me either, I only came here so that you could answer a couple of our questions." Kushina was drenched in sweat, the toll of keeping the Kyūbi sealed could be seen across her face. "What happened the night that you were taken from me?"

A wide grin crept on the face of the Kyūbi. **"A miraculous night wasn't it? It was so, how do you humans say… fun? Yes, that's the word fun, how much fun it was; although it ended too soon. Though I must confess, the blood tasted so exquisite." **Kushina looked at the Kyūbi with disgust. **"Don't give me that look, when you have been as parched as I have been even the metallic taste of blood is quite sweet." **A long tongue whipped out of his mouth and licked around his lips. **"Now, tell me why should I tell you anything? Within a few moments, you will be out of chakra and I could devour you. You can't keep me tamed forever now, we are not inside of you." **Kushina's face sunk, she didn't know it was that obvious.

"I'll make you a deal then." This got the fox's attention.

"**What could you possibly give to me? Do you not see all of this luxurious space and freedom I have now?" **The Kyūbi struggled against his chains as if he was mocking her.

Kushina scoffed a small laugh. "And how long do you exactly think this will last? A week, month, what maybe a year. Naruto may only be a baby but as he grows, so will his mind, by the time he turns five he will have completely taken over this freedom, as you call it." She was spreading out her arms as to emphasize the space that they were in. "Minato was no fool, he allotted this space for you so it wouldn't interfere with Naruto's mind, but in time this space will shrink and it will become your prison. I can help you, or make you suffer more. The choice is all yours."

"**Bold words mortal, but how do I know any of what you just said is true?" **Suddenly one of the chains around his arm broke and Kushina fell to one knee, Nagato ran over and helped her back up. **"You're pathetic, see how you are already on your knee, yet you still dare threaten me. The Kyūbi no Yōko, Demon Fox that all are afraid of, Greatest of all Bijū. Do you think a mere baby could keep me at bay for long? When I escape, I will first kill your baby, then I will kill what else you love, then I will savor the taste of your blood. DO YOU HEAR ME!?" **The Kyūbi's voice rang thought out the valley.

Kushina merely looked up at him with a smile, she wiped up some stray blood that trickled from one of the minor cuts she picked up from their early scrimmage. "How long have you known me? Do you really think I would bluff?" She swiped her blood against her exposed skin where she kept her blade's seal. The dark metal reflected in the moonlit sky. She smashed the blade into the cold, moist earth before forming the rat seal. Kanji started to fly outward of the blade growing in the unfamiliar territory, she twisted the blade as the world started to shrink. The lush green valley transformed into a small, dank cave. "Do you still believe that I am bluffing?" Kushina wore a proud yet weak smile, while the Kyūbi let out a low growl.

"**Fine human, you have a deal what is it that you wanted to know?" **He bared his fangs at the trio.

"No, not now. I will come back later. You have made your bed now, and you will lie in it for a while." Kushina folded her fingers into a dragon seal and the three humans disappeared from the Kyūbi's view, before they were completely gone, they could hear the fox's ear splitting roar.

Nagato steadied himself as he reappeared in the room, the feeling of returning to the normal world after they had been in someone else's mind felt…weird. The lone man in the room started to feel for all his extremities as if one could have been left behind. "That was great, but why did we leave." Nagato spoke up after he was sure that every part of him was there. "It seemed like the Kyūbi was about to answer your questions, proving what I said." Hearing no response Nagato looked towards Kushina only to find Konan kneeing next she collapsed, Konan had two fingers pressed up against Kushina's neck. "Konan, what happened?"

Konan looked up and saw Nagato looking frantic. "Don't worry, she is alright, it seems that she is suffering from a case of mild chakra exhaustion." Nagato looked relieved after she told him, was her Nagato actually worrying about someone again.

Nagato was worried, immediately after hearing Konan tell him that Kushina had chakra exhaustion he called for a medic. He saw too many people die of the same thing, chakra exhaustion is the cruelest of all poisons. You could have just defeated an army only for your body to reject you because of it. Now he didn't wonder why they left. If he had known that this would have happened to her, he would have told her to stop earlier. Nagato stared at his hands in shame, he was supposed to be the reincarnation of the Sage, and he should have been able to beat the Kyūbi into submission himself. If he couldn't take on a single bijū how was he supposed to cure this world?

Nearly two days after the meeting with the Kyūbi Kushina's eyes opened again, she was slow and foggy that entire day. Most of that day she spent sitting with Naruto. She cradled him all day never leaving the nursery unless it was to go to the bathroom. The encounter seemed not only exhausted her chakra supply, but also her mental capabilities. Because of this Nagato worried continuous throughout the day about her, by that night's end she had barely spoken to him. When he went to bed that night he hoped that she was recuperated enough so they could talk about meeting the Kyūbi again, so it was to his surprise that she woke him in the dead of the night. "Kushina, what are doing, how did you get in here?" Nagato's eyes were still heavy from the sand-man's spell, all he saw was a mass of red hair and pale skin.

Sadly for Nagato Kushina was the polar opposite, she had energy to spare, she was pacing in front of Nagato's bed. "Come on Nagato, we have to go now. The Kyūbi has probably grown tired and will say anything." The woman's voice was rapid and her breaths were quick.

When Nagato looked at Kushina's eyes, he could tell that they held a wild and animalistic urge to them. "What, now why can't we just go tomorrow morning when the sun is up?"

"No, it must be now. I will go mad if I can't find out the truth soon." Tears burst forth from the side of her eyes. "My son, Naruto, if I can't protect him what type of mother am I. I'm no fool, I know I can't beat you in a fight, but as a mother I can't let you hurt him. If it turns out you are lying then I will die knowing that I did everything I could to stop you. That's why it has to be now!" Little did Kushina know, but as she spoke a new word her voice rose to a different octave, it grew so loud that it couldn't be distinguished between yelling.

After hearing that Nagato was shocked he never heard someone as defensive as she was now. It actually made him smile, he couldn't help himself. As soon as she was done with her rant he grabbed Kushina by her arm and pulled her into him. "It's ok." He wrapped his other arm around her and let her shed tears into his bare shoulder. "I'm not lying, I would never lie to you." He whispered into her ears as he soothed her back.

At first she tried to struggle against his strong grip, she didn't want to feel weak, at least not in front of him. Kushina held her tears as long as she humanly could, but it didn't help. She had felt oddly secure in his arms. It was a feeling she hadn't felt in a long time. "Baka." She croaked it out of her lungs, which was the last thing she remembered. The powers of the night took control of her body and she fell into a deep sleep in Nagato's arms.

The last night was a blur to Kushina, she faintly remembers breaking into Nagato room to get him so they could go and confront the Kyūbi again. Yet somehow instead she was back in a bed, she felt around for the pillow she slept with and she felt a toned frame. Her heart stopped, she turned and saw Nagato. Fear occupied her, she tried to remember the last night. Bringing her hands up to her face, she felt that her cheeks were swollen and eyes were puffy. Faintly she recalled the embrace of hands around her small frame. Mentally she went a couple of shades darker, she felt Nagato move next to her, and quickly she got up moving to the door. "Kushina, is something wrong." Turning around, she saw Nagato was starting to get up, he sat up in the bed showing his bare chest.

At this point her face and hair had the same color. "No, I'm just going to get ready for the day." She gave him a forged smile and continued to creep out the room.

Later that afternoon the newly minted member of the Akatsuki could be seen back in her infant's room, she was writing the seals needed for the voyage into Naruto's mind. "Kushina, could you show me that thing you did before?" The woman jumped in surprise at the voice, she didn't notice anyone enter the room; she looked at the voice and it turned out to be Nagato. It seemed that he was getting more curious about the art of fūinjutsu since her display from before.

Kushina wiped her brow of perspiring water, she was working on a rather complex matrix on the floor when Nagato interrupted her. "What thing?"

Nagato mimicked the seals that he saw Kushina create on the previous excursion. He gave a frustrated sigh when nothing happened. "You know the ink thing you did, I've been trying to recreate it but it has been unsuccessful. I was hoping I could just copy it when you did it today, but it seems that you are using another method this time."

Kushina straighten her back and stretched into a long yawn. "I believe you mean **Uzumaki Style: Infinite Ink**, and the reason why you couldn't use it was because I showed you the shorthand version of it. Tomorrow, if everything checks out we can go into it more exact methods and the practicalities on how to use it. Also the reason I'm not using it now is because last time I didn't take into the account that I didn't have as much chakra as before. This time I'm writing very precise matrixes that will decrease our chakra use by half. So if we need to fight the Kyūbi again we will not have to use as much chakra as we did last time, and I have to do it by hand because the jutsu is not as delicate as a hands touch." She turned around and rebent her back getting back to work.

All Nagato could say was "Oh" as she work own the foreign language that was fūinjutsu to him. He sat and watched as she danced around the room adding stroke of a brush here and then running around only to do something over there. The dance was a foreign one but he felt that it connected to his soul, he felt the need to learn how to create as beautiful work as his cousin had. What she was doing was something that was as ancient as beauty, you had to be born with it in order to seduce others with it. In that matter Kushina had enticed him to a point of no return, as each stroke was of pure bliss in his mind that awaked something old in him, he briefly thought that this woman was his own personal savior that kept him from going somewhere dark and unreturnable.

Before Nagato recognized Kushina was done with the dance and once again working on her son's stomach, placing a personal matrix over the one that occupied him. "This is going to take a little longer than last time, this is going to be semi-permanent meaning that it will fade if not used after a year." As she worked not only had Nagato visited her, she saw the majority of fellow members come and go as she worked on the seals. Orochimaru also stopped by and they had an argument if certain seals she was using were necessary. Altogether, it took her a couple of more hours to finish the seal she placed on her child, by the time she had finished it the sun was melting into an array of purples and blues.

"Finished!" Kushina surprised Nagato and Orochimaru, the two males were sitting in the room discussing different applications of fūin when Kushina cried. Konan had declined the option to go back into Naruto's mind and Orochimaru said that he wanted to see Kushina's _superior _fūin in action. At first Kushina was against the idea of the pale man going with the Uzumaki duo, but Orochimaru was one of the strongest shinobi around and could help against the Kyūbi – if I came back to it.

"About time Kushina-chan, you do know that I have other things that I could be doing with my time than explain basic fūinjutsu to Nagato here." It was good to see that with all of his time in exile that Orochimaru's narcissism didn't diminish any.

"I hear you senpai, no one told you to wait here." Kushina wiped her brow of a few droplets of perspiration that formed on her.

Orochimaru sneered at her. "Girl watch to whom you speak to with that tight lip of yours, or on our next scrimmage I might not take it so easy on you."

"Yea, yea, I hear you senpai; you're the big bad snake shinobi. Now if your ego could take a break, we have work to do." Kushina worked her fingers into the complexity of the dragon sign, and their world faded and became completely white.

Orochimaru sneered again and looked around. "I'm guessing we arrived here because of you?"

Kushina gave a proud smirk. "Damn straight, dattebane, you know that." She gave a nice guy pose. "Now let's go, that big old fur ball must be ready to talk now." She carried forward with a wide grin.

The cave was larger than what Nagato remembered, the entry way was a never ending tunnel that keep heading down a long path. "Was it always this long?"

Kushina shook her head. "When I reorganized the space of the valley it all had to be disrupted equally, so the entry tunnel has most of the space. We should be there soon, I can already feel his presence creeping up on me." Soon after she said that they could hear a loud low growl. "See told you, fur ball can feel us also."

Soon they found the opening of the small tavern that held the fox. **"Three days, Uzumaki, THREE DAYS. You left me here for three days, tell me why I shouldn't eat you now." **The Kyūbi was livid, he snarled at the little group that walked in front of him.

Kushina brought a finger into the sky. "Tisk, tisk, tisk I told you, you had to lay in your bed for a while. Besides, what's three days to someone like you?"

The Kyūbi roared and flung his arm at Kushina, he grabbed her and squeezed her until she was gasping for air. **"This is what three days it to me." **Kushina gasped and grabbed at the beast's paw, the suddenness of the attack caught her off guard. **"If you can't last a **_**minute**_** like this how do you expect me to last for THREE DAYS." **The grip of the Kyūbi weakened as Kushina looked at the beast that she once held was bounded by a large snake squeezing its torso. **"More humans." **The fox growled, looking down at the ground where Orochimaru was standing. **"Poor little humans, you can never fight fair."** The fox let the woman go and she fell to the floor gasping for air. Nagato and Orochimaru stood in defensive stances waiting to go on the offense. The large mammal looked at them at them with humor and waved them off. **"I have no time to play with such weak boned creatures, what is that you wanted to know. I am anxious to get this over with." **He said with a sarcastic snarl.

Kushina got up off the floor, after catching her breath. She brought out a chain and wrapped it around the Kyūbi's snout pulling its face to the ground. She walked straight up to him, and stared into his eyes. "Do that again and I will kill you." She let him go and he let out a grumble. "I wanted to know what happened the day you were extracted from me."

The Kyūbi release a monovalent smile as it creep upon his face. **"Ah, you do love to bring me back the fond memories. I remember waking up from a nice slumber, I was dreaming of devouring the fire nation when I saw that cursed eye. It was a Sharingan."**

Day of Naruto's Birth

Kyubi POV

**I remember the moment when I knew it was my time to escape, Kushina was eating some ramen populated dish when I felt it. The baby moved, but not like before, no it was no mere kick of annoyance that the foul little creature would do randomly. NO I could tell that this was birth, it was trying to escape his mother. I laugh, after ten long months me and the small animal were similar, we wanted freedom; I immediately I started to work on my plan to escape the hellish pit I was in. I had been feeling the seal had weaken of the last couple of months and it was one of the rare times I could see outside of my container. I could tell that Kushina was surrounded by two bodyguards. They started to walk they headed in the direction of the borders of the village. **

"Lady Kushina, we must hurry the area was already prepped by the Fourth so it could suppress some of the Bijū chakra." **An ANBU with a giraffe mask was talking to Kushina as she was holding her stomach. It had seemed that they decide against using a shunshin in case it would have some unforeseeable effect on the labor.**

"Yes, yes Kirin-san, but do you know how hard it is to walk when a demon is trying to escape you." **The human bitch I call my container gave her two ANBU escort a small smile, whose faces paled behind their mask.** **It gave me joy.**

**The other ABNU, a husky lady with a butterfly mask took a small step away from her, she bent down into the starting position for a sprint.** "That's is Lady Kushina, I will not wait for the Kyūbi to escape." **The woman grew in size and picked up Kushina and sprinted towards the labor room.**

**Kushina face paled as she was being rushed through the town by the Akimichi woman.** "Chō-san slow down you can induce labor going this fast."

**As soon as we reach the so called labor room, which look often a lot like this cave here. I fell into a deep sleep. Suddenly, while I was sleeping like a little fox when I was awoken by that eye. It felt just like it did when the other Uchiha, Madara was his name. Like I said it was just like when Madara put me under a genjutsu to fight the Senju boy. Only it felt different, at least the eyes looked different, anyway. When the mysterious man spoke, he said that if I worked with him that I would able to feast upon the blood of Konoha. Of course I agreed…**

Present

"Harrumph!" Kushina interrupted the Kyūbi's monologue. "We don't need to know the details on how you killed thousands of people." She was looking like that was an obvious statement.

"**Well, how do you expect me to know that you said that you wanted to hear what happened on that day. So what do you exactly want to hear, because I grow tired of your presence." **The Kyūbi snarled and stared at the collective in front of him with menacing eyes.

Kushina stepped forward. "Naruto, tell me about what happened when you were sealed in my son."

"**Humans, they think about no one but themselves, I should have known this was about the baby. Fine, I was about to destroy the village when…"**

Past

**I was summoning a Bijūdama to wipe out the rest of the village when I noticed a yellow spark upon the Hokage Monument. I figured that the Uchiha that set me free must have been killed because his hold on me was no longer present, logically thinking I figured that this person was the one to do it. So I fired the Bijūdama at him, sadly though the human survived. The person turned out to be Minato, The Fourth Hokage, and famed Yellow Flash. Using is dammed jutsu he transported my bomb to the outskirts of the village and then proceeded to do the same with me. **

**That's when it happened, I saw a fat frog, and I was in a state of jubilance. Frog legs was one of the things I missed most about the world, there was so many possibilities cook them that I was distracted when it attacked me. The dammed frog sat on me, can you believe it a frog sitting on a fox, the irony. While I was playing with the food I didn't notice you, Kushina, erecting a barrier. I saw an altar with a baby placed in it, that's when I immediately knew that you and your husband was planning to reseal me into the baby. Naturally, I fought against the idea of me, the Kyūbi no Kitsune, being reseal into a baby no less. Sadly, I could barely move, as your damned chains of **_**fate **_**were wrapped around me. I struggled against them feeling that my front paw was still moving, so I went to strike at the infant with my sharpest nail. **

**Oh my poor old heart broke, both his mother and father jumped in front of the attack to shield their newborn. My plan to kill the boy and keep my freedom was ruined by two little humans no less. That's when I saw death, or should I say more precisely the Shinigami. It had seemed that your husband had stumbled across one of the Uzumaki's old scrolls. Minato used the seal to rip me in half, the **_**Hokage**_**, gave his life taking half of me with him. If I am correct I am the yang half of my charka, sadly I do not know what happened to my other half. What I do know if I had it, I would be able to easily break free from this prison. **

Present

Kushina almost dropped to the floor, it seemed that Nagato told her the truth. A weight that she couldn't feel was lifted off of her shoulders and she felt a thousand times better. **"Human, I told you what you wanted to hear. Are you now satisfied?" **The booming voice of the Kyūbi rained Kushina back to reality.

Ignoring the Kyūbi completely she turned to Nagato. "Gomenasai!" Tears burst from her eyes once again. "Gomen, I shouldn't have doubted you. You let us in your home and fed and clothed us, so Gomenasai." She bowed her head down before Nagato trying to apologize for what she had accused him of.

Nagato walked over to her and picked up her head. "You have nothing to apologize for, I would have doubted you if you did nothing. Naruto is _your_ child, the future of _our_ clan, and if _we _cannot protect him than we as a clan is lost. So raise your head, we still have to deal with a particular orange fox." Kushina gave a quick nod to Nagato wiped her eyes and turned to the Kyūbi.

The Kyūbi looked pissed he had been ignored by the woman for a human male. **"Kushina, you are wearing on my patience. Just because I said I was the yin side of my original chakra does not mean I have grown soft. You should count yourself lucky, I held up my end of the deal now it's your turn." **

In a surprising move Kushina also gave him a small bow or more precisely a quick nod of her head. She bit into the callus skin of her thumb, letting blood escape from her. Her sword appeared in her hands. "Kyūbi, thank you for your cooperation." She let her weapon drop from her hand, letting it sink deep into the ground. "Here's my offer, I will create a secondary space in Naruto's mind. Every year I will come back to make sure it is stable and you have enough space, it will be like this until Naruto turns thirteen or becomes a Genin whichever comes first. At that time you and Naruto will negotiate a deal between the two of you."

The Kyūbi have her a nod it was reasonable. **"What do I need to do in return for this deal?" **He was no fool he had been around for millennium maybe even longer, no deal was one sided.

Kushina grinned. "Technically, you won't have to do anything. By you being sealed inside of little Naru-chan he will have massive chakra reserves. Keeping you inside of a secondary space will keep your negative emotions from afflicting him. I can tell that his tenketsu are almost the size of a Genin. That alone is just because of his Uzumaki blood and because of your influence in the womb. I bet by the time he becomes a Genin he will rival a Jōnin in chakra levels. Kyūbi what your element affinity?"

"**I see so because of me the child will grow to be enormously powerful. But I can't see what my wind affinity has to do anything with him." **After all legends did tell of him being able to raise tsunamis and flatten mountains with just a single swipe from one of his tails, if it wasn't clear that that was because of wind maybe humans were slower than he thought.

"Nothing, I just suspect that he will pick up chakra traits from you." Both the Kyūbi and Kushina nodded their heads in agreement.

"**It that is the case you might want to watch out if he inherits my ability to sense negative emotions. It can come in handy in some situations." **He lifted his paws and started to press down fingers with a tail. **"Oh, it would be interesting if he gets a tail."** He said waving his around.

Kushina deadpanned. "Naruto will not have a tail, he's human, we don't get them. But that emotions thing might be useful. I will have to watch out for it."

The giant fox looked at her quizzically, as if he was examining her. **"It seems that you don't have a tail, it is a shame I couldn't live without all nine of mine." **The Kyūbi waved his tails out and the air showing them off.

"Kushina-chan." Orochimaru stood to the side with Nagato and looked at the duo with bewilderment. Surely he the snake sannin who called Ryūchi Cave home had seen more odd sights, but this casual talk with the nine tailed demon was one of the weirdest. "How can you converse with him so casually?"

Kushina looked to see the looks on the faces of her comrades, and realized what was wrong. "Oh, you don't have to whisper, don't you see the size of his ears? He can hear you just fine. And besides, I held the Kyūbi for most of my life, there are sometimes when we can be cordial." She gave him a small smile and the Kyūbi returned a low growl. "Ah, the fur-ball loves me. But you know what Kyūbi." She turned and looked at the beast. "I want to add one more thing to our deal."

The wind began to pick up around them in the cave. **"Tread carefully human, you might be a nice conversationalist, but I will devour you in seconds." **A gale rose that pushed Kushina back a few inches. **"Speak with haste."**

Kushina grew tired of the Kyūbi's antics, he always tries to make her fearful of him whenever they talked. "It's about the negative emotions sensing, I want you to train Naruto in how to do it."

The cave filled with a deep dark laugh coming from the fox. **"Girl, you are a humorous one. Why would I train **_**your **_**child and **_**my **_**jailer? What would I gain if I did this, I suggest you think long on your answer."**

Kushina adopted a devious glare. "Oh, but you have all to gain. Depending on how Naruto perceives you when he comes of age to control your prison, he could either admire his _sensei _or he can loathe his _prisoner_. The choice is all yours really." She finished with a sweet smile.

Everybody gathered in that cave understood just what Kushina did. She had threatened the Kyūbi with a smile on her face. **"You know Kushina you could have been a Kitsune in another life. I accept your terms, now take me back to the valley I was in." **

"Dattebane, as you wish." Ecstatically Kushina twisted the blade in the ground as she terraformed the area to the Kyūbi's liking. The sunken earth roof was replaced an open endless night sky that was filled with stars. The moon shone brightly illuminating the entire area. The four walls that song claustrophobia dissolved into fresh, crisp air brimming with the smells of spring. Life bloomed from the cold soil, giving birth the lush green grass and flora of every breed. Simply put the dark little cave disappeared and a valley of vibrant greens replaced it. "Is this to your liking?" All she retrieved in return was the Kyūbi turning around and prancing into the valley. She smiled and return, placing her hands in the dragon sign she taking her party home.

As they dematerialized into the real world, Orochimaru said something about doing more research and left, leaving Kushina and Nagato alone in Naruto's room. There was an eerie silence that was left between the two Kushina had still felt sorry about not believing in him. "Nagato, tomorrow I will leave your home. Your help this last week as has really appreciated, but I can't stay here forever."

The man in question nodded his head. "I understand, I never thought you would stay. After all, there is a whole compound you can choose from." He got up and exited the room, stopping at the doorway he turned around. "Tell me before you leave tomorrow, I want to discuss something with you." With that, he left into the empty chasm that was his home.

Kushina pulled Naruto out of the crib and swayed him in her arms, waking the baby with a soft laughter. "Naru-chan, you don't even know what I just did. When you become strong one day, we will exact revenge on the people that did this to you." She said while tickling his belly. The baby grumbled loudly showing his mother that he was listing to her. She cooed with him for a while longer before putting him to bed. For the first time Kushina felt like she was a mother, when she fell asleep that night, it was the best she slept in a long time.

The next morning was one of strange encounters, for the first time since her initiation, woke with a smile on her face. She smelt freshly cooked breakfast and headed towards the smell, only to her surprise, she found Konan siting at the table and eating. "Moring, Konan." The blue headed woman nodded politely in return. "I never caught your last name?"

"No, you didn't. As you know I am an orphan of the war, thus I don't have one." Konan gave her a polite smile. "Nagato, said that you two had fun yesterday." She stuck a piece of bacon on the end of her fork.

Kushina smiled back. "Only if you call talking to Kyūbi fun. So are you the only girl besides me in the group?"

Konan gave off a distant glare. "Yeah." Her voice was far and her glare went aloof. "But it wasn't always like that. We told you about what happened, there were so many of us; now we number less than ten. It is a shame, but enough of the mourning there is something I need you to do something for me. Yahiko was once the rock that Nagato stood on, once he died Nagato fell into the deep abyss. I tried for many years to become the rock for him, but I too was hurt after Yahiko died. You see he and I were _something._ What that was I am not clear, but I have not yet had the time to grieve either, so I am not strong enough for him. That is why I am asking you to become his rock. He trusts you, which is not an easy feat. So please Kushina Uzumaki become the rock that Nagato needs." She rose from her seat and bowed at the woman pleading for her closest friend.

Kushina got up from her seat and rushed over to her, enveloping her in a hug. "You are truly one of a kind person, even though it hurts you you're still putting Nagato feeling before yours." A single tear dropped down from Konan's eye. "I want us to be friends, after all Naruto will need a godmother."

The two women pulled away from each other, on Konan's face was a look of pure shock. "Why choose me as the child's godparent, we barely know each other."

Kushina shook her head. "I know you enough, you would rather put Nagato's wellbeing over your own and that's the type of godmother I want for my son. Besides, I doubt Mikoto will still be able to fill that role."

Konan nodded. "Can I see him then?" Kushina looked ecstatic and ran to retrieve Naruto from his slumber. The two women played with the little baby for most of the morning, I wasn't until early afternoon Nagato came down and saw the two women attacking a small form.

"Morning, you two or should I say three." Nagato gave them a smile as he walked into the room. Konan briefly turned around to look at him before going to look at the baby that just grabbed her hand. _"I'm competing with a baby for attention here." _Nagato sighed and grabbed some breakfast. After a while, she spoke up again. "It seems that you two are getting along."

This time Konan turned around fully and gave him her full attention. "Yes, Kushina has asked me to be the child's godmother. I finally have someone to teach my techniques to." She gave him a genuine smile.

Nagato felt sorry that he would have to rain down on her parade. "You probably will still have to look a while, Naruto won't have enough control for your skills, and he already has Genin level chakra. The boy will probably never have perfect control." Konan scowled at his rebuttal, she didn't feel like replying so she went back to the baby. "Kushina, when are we going to go over that jutsu you talked about yesterday?"

The woman in question turned around. "Oh, sorry Nagato, I had forgotten all about that. I see that you're really enthusiastic about it." She turned to the other woman. "Konan would you mind watching Naruto while I school the Sage here."

Konan just looked up from Naruto, she had little paper butterflies floating around his head. "I would be glad to."

Kushina stood up from her seat. "Thanks, Nagato, I'm going to change into some training clothes, I will come back down in one second." The man nodded in response and headed over to the baby to look at him.

Nagato was standing across from Kushina in a dojo stylized room. In front of Kushina was a banquet of ink and paper. "Before we get into the jutsu we have to see how good you are at calligraphy."

Nagato nodded, but didn't understand why. "If you are going to teach me the jutsu why do I have to show you my calligraphy skills?"

Kushina gave a sullen look. "How do you expect to use the jutsu properly if you can't write in a straight line? Now let's see it." She said in a mock militaristic way.

The rest of that afternoon, the Uzumaki duo could be seen writing lines along the floor of the dojo, by the time they finished for the day Nagato developed blisters on his fingers. Nagato sighed. "You take this too seriously; I don't even know how I got blisters today." Kushina gave off a loud maniacally roar. "Now that you see I can write, can we get on to the jutsu?"

"Nagato." Her voice changed personalities. "I can assure you that you are not ready to learn the jutsu yet. But I can already tell that you have the Uzumaki stubbornness in you, so you won't learn until you fail." Her hands flew though a long list of seals, she landed on rat. "This is the seals for **Uzumaki Style: Infinite Ink**."

Nagato nodded his head in response, he ran his fingers through the same set that Kushina did. He followed them to the letter. As he finished the set he bellowed out the name of the jutsu. **"Uzumaki Style: Infinite Ink" **When he finished a small illegible kanji for die appeared. Nagato's face paled was he saw the poor excuse of a word that he saw before him. "Um Kushina, what happened?"

Kushina laughed when she saw what happened. "Well, at least you got something to appear, the first time I did it a giant blotch a black ink appeared. I told you that you weren't ready for it; most can't use this technique until they become level six. It will take a while, but you will be grateful when it does happen." The woman stood up and dusted her knees. "Well, that's it for today, I will stop by tomorrow. I'm going to look at the houses and see which one is suitable."

As she was about to reach the door, she was grabbed by her arm and spun around into Nagato's embrace. He whispered into her ear. "I told you I need to speak to you before you left." He let her go.

Kushina straightened her frame. "Well, I'm here aren't I?" She asked nervously.

Nagato nodded. "Indeed you are, what I am about to divulge is up most secret." Kushina gulped. "I'm going to destroy Konoha." Kushina release a breath held and relaxed her body, Nagato looked at her curiously. "Kushina this isn't the time for you to relax, I just told you classified information. I need to know that you are on board with this, I was going to give this mission to Orochimaru, but he has gotten distant recently. That is why I am asking you if you would like to be the head of this mission."

Kushina chuckled a little. "That's all." Nagato nodded, and she whipped her head of sweat. "That won't be a problem; I already broke my ties with that place anyways." She rested her palm on her chin. "Is there a time limit?"

Nagato shook his head. "There's no limit, but I would like for you to start thinking about how we can do it."

Kushina smirked. "Nagato, you need new allies right?" The man in question nodded. "Well, let's get some. We can target Konoha smaller allies and try to get them to join our side, that way when they see the abnormal amount of Shinobi in their village, they won't think much of it because it is their ally."

Nagato nodded at this. "It's a good idea, but who would we join with, Suna and Konoha are best buds and no other village would even think of betraying them."

Kushina gave off a devious smile. "Leave Suna to me, I heard they were having problems with their jinchūriki seal. And if I'm not correct Takigakure always wanted to have a bigger role in the world. Also, there is Nadeshiko Village they are always looking for a fight."

**A/N: Yay the chapter is finally finished, I know it took forever to come out but as I said there were problems with my laptop. There is something I need to say: I NEED BETA READER. So pm or review that you are interested in the position and I will get in contact with you. **

**Here is the world count for this chapter pre-AN, 7056 and this is a defiantly the longest one yet. Sadly I must inform you that I will not toast this evening off with a frosty alcoholic drink. Apparently rabbits/bunnies are not supposed to get dunk, the hell with I'm going back to the bottle I can't sober I'm drunkenbunny not a sober one. **


	7. Chapter 6

**A/N: Hello to all my current fans and follows and welcome to any new people I manage to pick up. This chapter, I really need to hear feedback from you guys, because I've really divulge into the title of an AU with this chapter and would like to know how you guys feel about it. Also this chapter is a little shorter than what I usually write, but I wanted to leave it on a cliff hanger. **

**Anyways past that borings stuff here the next chapter…**

The One Ring to Rule them all?

It had been three months since Kushina officially joined Akatsuki, which meant she officially had to break her ties with Konoha and become a citizen of Ame. Sure the first couple of weeks were difficult. Especially since she had to raise little Naru-chan on her own, but she also received help from Konan and Nagato time to time whenever they stopped by. Orochimaru kept talking about a seal he was developing that could make him stronger and all he had to do was mark him, so she made sure to keep him arms distance at all times. Kisame also came by a lot to see the baby, she guessed he like kids, but he swore he needed to get acquainted with the new member and the baby was in his way. Zetsu had been the weirdest of them all Naruto would break out in tears every time he came near him. She guessed it was like some books said, "some babies hate a certain smell" that must have been it because she couldn't figure out another reason. Another person she had become more familiar with was Nana, Kushina learned that she was in her late sixties and taken care of orphans in the war. One day Nagato told her that Nana found the three of them after Jiraiya left and taken them into a group home. So after Nagato rebuilt the city he made sure to have a home for her ready, now she ran a successful babysitting agency, which Kushina took full advantage of.

Her relations with her fellow teammates were not the only change that happened, true to her word the day after she and Nagato talked to the Kyūbi she left for one of the other homes. It took her a while, but she finally decided on a home she wanted, it was toward the middle of the compound. Nagato had urged her to say until she got the place furnished properly but she refused. Although she did take the stuff Nagato had for Naruto's nursery, even though she had to sleep on the floor, she told him that she was extremely happy to have her own house. A week after that she took her first official mission for the village, it was an S-class espionage mission to retrieve some scroll. The hardest thing about the mission was handing over Naruto to Nana, she almost sliced off the woman's hands because she kept grabbing for him. But she was happy that she did take the mission, it was relatively easy and there were very few deaths on it. And thanks to the mission she was able to furnish her home.

At last, life was settling down after Naruto's birth, sure she knew there were to be some adjustments, but she also knew shinobi had the same jobs no matter the Country. Today was her first official day at the Akatsuki and all she had to do was wait for Nana to arrive around noon so she could babysit for her. But right now it was six in the morning and she had just stepped out the shower, it was the first time she could admire herself since she got rid of her own baby fat. She wasn't yet able to get back her abs back, but she no longer had the fat, the thing she did notice was that her breast had grown noticeably. Before she was a modest B-cup, now she was verging on a C-cup. Nagato had told her earlier that she would receive her Akatsuki robe at the meeting, she signed. Not knowing what would be suitable to wear to the first meeting of a secret organization. After trying on ten different outfits she finally decided on a form fitting black unitard and a navy blue dress to go over it, the dress stop right at her upper thighs. After finally getting ready for the day she decided to feed Naruto his breakfast, it surprised her something's how quite a child he was. Mikoto told her that Itachi was hell for his the first year.

After a morning of peace, it was close to the time in which Nana was to come. She was very happy with the woman because she had learned she was very punctual, and true to her record at the strike of twelve she knocked on the door. Eager to attend the meeting Kushina answered the door with extreme vigor, as the woman came inside of the door she left excited about the meeting.

As she strolled out of her house her stomach was filled with anxiety, the great Habanero was nervous out of her mind. The last time she was inside of the Headquarters she was ambushed, and they said it was a _test_. She wondered that if they would try something like that this time, it would make sense. At the test before she wasn't at full strength, but now she was back up to shape. She reached the door of the organization that she is learning to call her home. Although the one thing she thought that she would never get used to is the structure on the building.

Kushina gently pressed the door open, to her surprised the building was brightly lit unlike her last time there. Taking the space into view clearly for the first time she saw much more than there before. As she opened the door it opened up to what she would call the main hall, it was the area she was in before. As a center piece she saw the gargantuan structure that she discussed with Nagato, she briefly tried to remember that name she believed it was called Gedo Statue. It stood directly in the center of the room the head almost reached the ceiling, she wondered how she missed it last time. She then looked over to the area that she assumed that where the battle took place. The area was as big as a colosseum, she figured that there had to be some type of expansion seals on the walls. To her immediate right and left there were two different staircases that traveled along the perimeter that led to the unknown. To her surprise the right staircase had a piece of paper hanging overhead that said "Kushina". With a shrug of her shoulders she followed the note.

At the top of the mountain of stairs she found a hallway that led to a small quaint room. Along the walls were black and red lockers standing up, the floor was tiled in the cloud pattern that usually adore the robes, in the middle of the room was a bench. Off to the side of the open room it seemed like she could see a shower. Inside of the room she saw her child's godmother, Konan. "Konan, where is everyone else?"

The woman in return gave her a smile. "I'm about to change, do you expect me to do that in the men's changing room?"

That is when Kushina actually took in her appearance, when she saw the woman out in the world she usually wore a revealing navy blue robe, with a large hemline on the front, with exposed belly and arms, and tight black leggings. So she wasn't surprised when she walked in on the woman who was now in just a black bra. Now that Kushina thought about it, Konan was a very sexual person. "I didn't know that there would be changing rooms."

At that Konan scoffed a short laugh. "I had to force Nagato to add them, I wasn't about to change in the open in an organization full of guys." She slipped her legs out of her last piece of outerwear while muttering something about perverted snakes. "Since we are the only women here you can choose as many lockers you want, I don't see Naruto did you leave him at home?"

Kushina was starting to blush, the woman in front of her was very comfortable with her body. "Yeah, I left Naru-chan with Nana. I didn't know what we would be doing today. By the way, why are you changing if we just have to put on a robe?"

Konan started to flex her body which made Kushina turn her back towards the other woman, she gave a soft groan. "And I wanted to see the little tyke." She then grabbed Kushina by the shoulders and turned her around, grabbing a black pile of clothing she held it up. "Because we have to wear these uniforms underneath them." The black suit that she held up was very similar to the one Kushina was currently wearing. She slid the stretchy material over her body. The substance seemed to be made out of Lycra like fabric that stretched, but it was also sturdy enough to be made of leather, it covered from the tip of her toes to the top of her neck. "It may not seem like much, but it's like a stretchy Kevlar, it's really protective." Konan pointed to a stack of clothes on a bench by the entrance. "Those are your clothes over there."

Kushina headed to the pile of clothing that was in the corner. Konan was staring at her as if she was expecting something. "Would you mind?" After all Kushina considered herself a very modest person.

Konan quickly nodded and walked to the door. "Right then, I'll be waiting down the hall to the right it connects with the men's hall there is a meeting room there." With that she left the room and Kushina began to change.

After she was finished she headed in the direction that Konan told her about. Finding a her way she saw a medium sized room it was filled with lounging furniture and even had vending machines. To her surprise Kisame was sitting at a table eating sushi, Kushina started to psych herself up mentally before talking. "Dattebane team, what's on the agenda for today?" She mentally gave herself a high-five for her energy.

"My, my, my Kushina-chan you are really a loud one for so early in the morning." Orochimaru started to dig some wax out of his ears.

Kushina gave him a deadpan look. "Senpai its noon, you can hardly call this early." Orochimaru just waved her off and looked at his fingers. She looked around and found out she was actually not the last person to be there, Nagato their supposed _leader _was late. She figured that was the reason they all seem so relaxed. She decided to go with the flow and talk with her fellow associates until Nagato arrived.

It wasn't until about an hour later did a sleepy looking Nagato walked through the door, he started to rub the back of his head apologetically at the sight of them all. "Sorry, it seems that I have over slept." When he said that Kushina wondered if this really was an organization that could bring the Elemental Nations to its knees. Suddenly a pressure enveloped the room and Nagato became serious. "Now let's get down to business."

Abruptly the group of them got up and moved robotically towards the door, not knowing what to do Kushina straggled at the end of the group. It turned out the group was just moving down to the main hall, apparently the 'break room' wasn't suffice as a place to hold their meeting. Once they were there Nagato shunshin to the top of the statue, his hair was breathing against the ceiling. As if status quo each member started to shunshin one by one appearing on a finger of the statue. By the time the ritual was done, all but one figure on the right hand was filled. "Kushina Uzumaki."

She looked up at Nagato who called out to her, when she did, she saw a glimmer of purple flying towards her. What she caught turned out to be a silver ring that held a circle of polished amethyst on top, with the word 'Ai' inscribed inside of it. Kushina ran her finger over the inscription. "Love…" She said the word delicately as the ring twisted in her fingers. "What is this?" She lifted the ring up and let it shine in the light.

"That is your marking as one of the main members of Akatsuki. That ring is one of the last remnants from Uzushio, when I left on my pilgrimage to our home village I told you all I found was some scrolls; while that was the truth I technically also lied. Seal in one scroll I found in the leader's office was nine rings. Each ring was inscribed with different emotions and a different color, seeing as I found them Uzushio I knew that they must have had some hidden seal work done to them. Eventually I found that they work as a communicators just push a little chakra into the ring and any person that bears one of these nine rings can hear you." Nagato raised his hand to the last available spot on the right palm, it was the little finger. "Kushina, once you place that ring on your finger means that you are a part of Akatsuki. You can no longer be on the fence about this, take your spot and join your brethren."

"Why?" The ring danced over the left little finger, she wanted to place it down on her hand, but it seemed she couldn't find the energy to make the movement. "Love, who do you think I am? Some little cheerleader that will throw her pom-poms in the air once you travel into battle. I have the power to bring villages to its knees, make men cry in pain and women in envy. Yet you give me _Love_ like some little girl feigning for attention." Kushina let the ring drop into her hand and she tossed it back towards Nagato. "I did not join your crusade for love Nagato. I have joined because of rage, rage at my ignorance, rage for my son, and rage for Konoha as a whole. Yet you give me love?"

"_Rage_." To Kushina's surprise Kisame scoffed at her. "You don't know rage girl, what you feel is not rage. You're just mad, maybe even angry at the world, real rage is something that will never go away. I know this rage." The blue skinned man lifted his right hand, a small red jewel shone from it. "I am _Rage_, I know what real rage is. To hate something so much it becomes a part of your skin. You wear it until your blood boils over and all you see is red…"

"Thank you Kisame, I could not have said it better myself." Nagato's voice filled the silence left by Kisame. "While you do have reason for rage Kushina, you were chosen for love for a greater reason. Your motivation is Naruto, we all see it here, which is why we as a group decided that you bear the violet ring of love. If you can honestly tell me that you would be standing here today if not for the love that you felt for Minato, Naruto, and Konoha as a whole that I will gladly change your ring." Kushina face changed to anger when he first said Minato, but started to soften once he brought up Naruto and Konoha. "While you might be angry at Konoha now do not fool yourself and say that you don't still love it. That village took you in as an orphan and forged you into a blade of destruction. I can see the fire in your eyes and it's not one of rage, it is a fire that only burns for love. Now that your heart is broken because of the betrayal you felt you will use that love to exact revenge of the system that caused this." Nagato tossed the ring back down to Kushina who caught it. "Now do you see it? Do you feel the love running through your veins, place the ring on your finger and take place here with us."

Kushina looked at the ring again, she sighed, were what they were saying the truth. Was it love that dictates her actions? While she was still not sure she did decide that she would trust her new family for now. With that, she placed it on her own right pinky and felt the immense power emanating from the ring, it surprised her but she could feel _it_. Love literally ran through her veins as the power of the ring took over her. Then she looked at the other figures in the room and could see the connection between them. Nagato was right, these rings were not ordinary, and these seals that powered the rings must have been forged in Uzushio "Nagato." Her voice was soft almost a whisper. "These rings, you're wrong about them."

The statement shocked Nagato. "What do you mean?" After placing the ring on her finger Nagato knew that Kushina would feel the power the coursed through them, because he felt the same when he first place one on his finger. "You don't believe these to be of Uzushio origin?"

Kushina shook her head. "No, they're from Uzushio alright, you're wrong about how they work. These rings are much more than communicators." She took off her ring and looked at the inside of the band, the secrets of its abilities were inscribed within the band in microscopic writing. Whoever did this was skill in fūinjutsu, so she had no doubt Nagato was telling the truth when he said the man who created it was an Uzumaki. "That feeling that rushes through your veins is much stronger than some simple communicator ring. There was one story my father told me about the leaders of the village and how the held nine rings that made them more powerful than any other person in the village." Her eyes studied the inscribed writing until her eyes strained. "This seal work is comparable to the Seven Swords of the Mist. Whomever wrote these seals are past the common fūin leveling system. Heck, they also passed the Uzushio leveling fūin system."

Nagato started to clear his throat and she placed the ring back on her finger. "So what can they do?" His interest peak as he looked at his own emerald ring that rested on his middle finger.

"I don't know." Kushina looked frustrated. "Deciphering these seals will take many hours for me, all I can say right now that they have some effect on the emotion that is written on them." With another verbal tick Kushina jumped on the last remaining finger if the right hand. "I will work on it and let you all know once I find out."

Nagato nodded at her. "Please do, but there is also another reason I have called you all here besides the ring ceremony." He briefly looked at each one of them holding their gaze for a few seconds each. "Now that Kushina have joined our group are strength has increased, but still not enough. At our current level it would take us twelve days to seal a single bijū, we need to cut that time by at least half." He received no objections. Nagato looked at Zetsu who for some reason sat on the ground instead of one of the fingers. "As we know Zetsu here is the current spymaster of our group, but he has informed me that he needs to spread his network. He has also told me that he caught wind of someone that may can help him with that objective." Looking back at the total group Nagato continued. "Sasori of the Red Sand is still alive."

"Sasori…" Orochimaru paused and let the name dance on his tongue. "That is one name I haven't heard in a long time. If I am correct that is Chiyo's little brat right?" Nagato nodded at him. "Last I heard was that that boy disappear after the Third War." A long tongue snuck out of his mouth and licked his lips. "I would love to be the one to find the boy, Leader."

"That is good because I planned for you and Kisame to go and find him anyway. Originally I wanted you to take Kushina with you, but I would love to find out what else these rings can do." The two men nodded at him. "You will either try to recruit him or we will hand him over to the Yondaime Kazekage, I heard he was listed in their bingo book." All of the heads their nodded swiftly.

xxxXXXxxx

Once again Kushina found herself in the changing room with Konan. "Hey, so I've been thinking about the rings. Each one holds a special meaning right?" Konan nodded. "So what is yours, I know that it's blue, but what does that mean?"

Konan pause her undressing, and looked at the faintly blue jewel that sat on her finger. "The gem is called Larimar, and it stands for hope. It's funny really, to hope means that you are already in despair. Nagato gave me the ring as soon as he came back from Uzushio, I didn't understand at first, but he told me that he gave me hope not because of the fact that I need it. No, I have hope because I give him hope; I think that hope is one of the most difficult emotions to have. And to be a beacon of hope means that you alone have to suffer in pain. It's as I told you earlier, Nagato needs help. This ring he gave me shows it, ironically Nagato asked me to choose which ring he should wear. I told him that the emerald ring of willpower should be his, because those two emotions go hand and hand; neither operating at full strength without each other." Konan looked at her ring again and smiled sadly. "You know hope and love also goes together. They are the emotions that give people reason to live. I don't know why, but it looks like we have the biggest burdens out of the group."

"Yeah, it looks like it." Kushina smiled back at her companion. "I'll tell you what, as long as you don't crack under the pressure I won't either." The two smiled at each other. "I do have one more question, Zetsu, what's up with him?" Kushina had noticed that he neither stood on one of the hands nor bore one of the nine rings.

"Nagato doesn't trust him, Zetsu, was not recruited like anyone else. He was placed." Konan's shifted around the room when she spoke. She looked fearful as if the walls would sprout ears, quickly flashing a couple of hand signs paper covered the walls and floors. "Madara." The name was spoken with lots of disgust. "Placed him, that Uchiha he insisted that Zetsu stay in his place because he would not be able to. Everyone else here, you, Orochimaru, and Kisame are loyal to Nagato. While Zetsu will betray us all in a heartbeat, keep Naruto away from him."

"Is this Madara fellow really that strong? I mean from what I've heard Minato fought him to a standstill and released the Kyūbi from his control at the same time. I'm not saying that my late husband was weak, but Nagato compares to the Sage in strength, surly this _Uchiha_ isn't that strong." Kushina sighed in frustration, she still wanted to pay this Madara impostor back because of what happened the night she died. But if he was really so strong that Nagato couldn't match him. She wasn't even willing to think of what would happen if she tried to fight against him.

"Not everything is about power." To both of their surprise a third voice appeared in the changing room, out from the shadows a male stepped out. His face was covered by an orange mask that had one eye hole on the right side of his face that was surrounded by black lines, black robes were draped over his body. "Good evening ladies, I heard you were here Kushina-ue*. It's good to, see you again, it has been such a long time."

"Madara."

**AN:** * -ue: literally means "above", and denotes a high level of respect.


End file.
